SUNDAY-SCHOOL 

MISSIONARY 

INCIDENTS  AND 

EXERCISES 

by 
JOHN  M.  SOMERNDIKE 


1915 
AN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 
ABBATH  SCHOOL  WORK 


tibvavy  of  €he  Cheoio^icd  ^eminarp 


PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate  of 
Harold  McAfee  Robinson,  D.D 

BV  2063  .S72  1915 
Somerndike,  John  M. ,  1877- 
Sunday-school  missionary 
incidents  and  recitations 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL 

MISSIONARY 

INCIDENTS 

AND 

EXERCISES 

BY 

JOHN  M.  SOMERNDIKE 

Author  of  "On  The  Firing  Line  With  the  Sunday- 
School  Missionary"  and  "By-Products 
of  the  Rural  Sunday  School" 


1915 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 
PHILADELPHIA 


Copyright,  1915 
by  the  Trustees  of 
The  Presbyterian  Board  017  Pubi  - 
and  Sabbath  School  Work 


CONTENTS 


i 

PAGE 

Missionary  Education  in  the  Sunday  School 5 

Why  This  Book? 7 

New  Emphasis  on  Missionary  Education 7 

Essential  to  a  Standard  School 8 

Missionary  Studies  in  the  Graded  Courses 9 

Opportunities   for   Expression 9 

Special  Obj  ects   10 

Through  the  Eye  Gate 11 

Literature    11 

II 
Stories  from  the  Field 13 

1.  "Aren't  You  the  Sunday-School   Starter?" 15 

2.  How    Aunt    Sylvia    Helped    the    Sunday-School 

Missionary     18 

3.  How  the   Missionary   Took   Christmas   to   Fair- 

view    20 

4.  He   Walked   One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Miles   to 

Preach    23 

5.  How  a  Sunday-School  Quarterly  Brought  Him 

Back    25 

6.  The  Sky  Pilot  Who  Could  Not  Be  Frightened..  28 

7.  Waited  Thirty-Three  Years  for  the  Missionary.  30 

8.  A  Recruit  for  the  Ministry 33 

9.  The  Gospel  in  Many  Languages 35 

3 


4  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

10.  xA.mong  the  Gold  Seekers 38 

11.  The  Returned  Emigrant  a  Missionary 40 

12.  Missionary  Heroes  in  America .42 

13.  Only  Ten  Per  Cent  in  Sunday  Schools 43 

14.  Missionary  Scouts  and  Pioneers 46 

15.  A    Wild    Mountain    Boy    Becomes    a    Sunday- 

School  Missionary   49 

16.  Overcoming   Difficulties    in    Organizing    Sunday 

Schools     52 

17.  The  Cowboy  Who  Became  a  Preacher 55 

18.  One  Hundred  Miles  for  a  Preacher 59 

III 

Fifteen-Minute   Programs 61 

1.  The  Southern  Negro   63 

2.  The  Southern  Mountaineers 69 

3.  The  Children  of   the   Plains 78 

4.  Brothers  of  the  Flag 84 

5.  Our  Welcome  to  New  Americans 91 

IV 

How  to  Obtain   Information 99 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  IN  THE 
SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


WHY  THIS  BOOK? 

The  purpose  of  this  book  is  twofold.  It  aims 
primarily  to  meet  a  demand  repeatedly  expressed 
in  the  correspondence  which  comes  in  a  continu- 
ous stream  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Board  for 
material  that  will  be  useful  in  promoting  mis- 
sionary instruction  in  the  Sunday  school.  It  fur- 
ther aims  to  encourage  in  all  the  Sunday  schools 
the  larger  consideration  of  the  pioneer  missionary 
work  being  performed  by  our  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionaries in  behalf  of  the  multitude  of  children  and 
youth  living  in  the  outlying  rural  districts,  boys 
and  girls  who  are  without  the  uplifting  influence 
of  the  Sunday  school  and  the  Bible  instruction 
which  it  is  its  purpose  to  impart. 

A  work  which  is  of  such  far-reaching  impor- 
tance to  the  promotion  of  a  better  citizenship,  and 
which  is  such  a  potent  factor  in  determining  the 
character  and  prosperity  of  the  Church  of  the  fu- 
ture, should  have  a  prominent  place  in  every  plan 
of  Sunday-school  missionary  education.  It  is  a 
work  which  is  vitally  fundamental  to  all  the  other 
forms  of  missionary  service.  Its  fruits  are  seen  in 
missionary  labors  in  the  uttermost  parts  as  well 
as  in  consecrated  ministries  in  the  home  field. 
The  appeal  of  neglected  childhood  never  fails  to 
awaken  sympathy.  This  work  presents  the  Mace- 
donian call  of  the  unprivileged  boys  and  girls  of 
America  for  a  share  in  the  opportunities  of  Chris- 
tian training  which  are  enjoyed  by  those  who 
form  the  great  Sunday-school  army. 

NEW    EMPHASIS    ON    MISSIONARY    EDUCATION 

The  emphasis  which  the  Sunday-school  world 
is  placing  upon  the  importance  of  imparting  to 

7 


8  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

the  pupils  accurate  information  concerning-  the 
great  missionary  enterprises  in  which  the  Church 
is  engaged  and  which  they  are  expected  to  sup- 
port with  increasing  liberality  proportionate  to 
their  ability,  has  led  to  the  appointment  of  a  Mis- 
sionary Committee  in  many  schools  to  take  charge 
of  this  phase  of  the  school's  exercises. 

The  Missionary  Committee  finds  it  difficult  to 
obtain  suitable  material  arranged  in  a  satisfactory 
way  and  in  sufficient  quantity  and  variety  to  en- 
able them  to  present  the  different  aspects  of  mis- 
sionary activity  represented  by  all  the  Boards  of 
the  Church  to  which  the  work  at  home  and  abroad 
has  been  committed.  They  realize  that  in  their 
plans  and  programs,  every  phase  of  missionary 
effort  should  have  its  proper  share  of  considera- 
tion. Therefore,  to  aid  Missionary  Committees 
in  their  work,  this  collection  of  missionary  stories 
and  experiences,  together  with  several  fifteen- 
minute  programs  giving  a  comprehensive  view 
of  special  fields  where  Sunday-school  mission- 
aries are  laboring,  has  been  prepared.  Two 
fifteen-minute  programs  referring  to  work  among 
foreign  immigrants  are  included  because  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  has  committed  to  the  Sabbath- 
School  Board  the  responsibility  of  taking  the 
gospel  to  the  foreigner  in  America  through  the 
publication  and  distribution  of  religious  litera- 
ture. 

ESSENTIAL   TO   A    STANDARD    SCHOOL 

The  Interdenominational  Sunday-School  Stand- 
ard calls  for  systematic  missionary  instruction  as 
a  requirement  of  a  Standard  School.  The  new 
Advance  Standard  requires  individual  system- 
atic giving  toward  the  church  benevolences,  be- 
sides the  active  cooperation  of  the  Sunday  school 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  9 

and  young  people's  organizations  in  mission  Sun- 
day-school work.  One  of  the  ways  by  which  these 
requirements  may  be  met  is  to  cultivate  an  inter- 
est throughout  the  school  in  the  mission  Sunday- 
school  work  which  is  being  done  through  our  own 
denominational  agency  or  Board  having  this  work 
in  charge. 


MISSIONARY    STUDIES    IN    THE   GRADED    COURSES 

The  growing  use  of  the  graded  courses,  in  which 
missionary  lessons  are  included,  has  been  the 
means  of  introducing  missionary  instruction  into 
schools  where  previously,  in  the  uniform  lessons, 
it  had  been  completely  neglected.  But  even  in 
these  progressive  schools  where  the  graded  sys- 
tem is  thoroughly  carried  out,  it  has  been  found 
advisable  to  emphasize  the  missionary  task  in  a 
more  definite  and  concrete  way  by  the  use  of 
special  fifteen-minute  exercises  once  a  month, 
introducing  missionary  stories  or  field  incidents, 
for  five  minutes  during  the  opening  exercises 
on  each  remaining  Sunday  of  the  month. 


OPPORTUNITIES    FOR    EXPRESSION 

It  is  a  fundamental  principle  of  psychology  that 
with  every  impression  an  opportunity  should  be 
provided  for  expression.  Our  work  of  mission- 
ary education  would  be  but  half  accomplished  if 
we  should  confine  our  efforts  to  the  imparting  of 
information.  The  pupil  may  easily  become  habit- 
uated to  participating  in  missionary  exercises 
without  realizing  his  responsibility  for  a  personal 
share  in  the  efforts  to  extend  Christ's  kingdom 
that  are  being  brought  to  his  attention  from  time 
to  time.     It  is  important,  therefore,  that  every 


10  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Sunday  school  should  so  arrange  its  financial 
methods  as  to  provide  for  regular  contributions  to 
all  forms  of  denominational  missionary  endeavor, 
not  neglecting  the  offerings  on  the  special  days 
such  as  Children's  Day,  Rally  Day,  et  cetera,  for 
which  special  exercises  are  provided  by  the  mis- 
sionary boards.  The  plan  of  systematic  missionary 
giving  was  never  intended  to  displace  these  spe- 
cial day  offerings  by  means  of  which  so  much 
helpful  missionary  work  is  being  accomplished. 
Some  Sunday  schools  fall  into  the  error  of  an- 
nouncing that,  in  view  of  the  introduction  of  a 
systematic  financial  plan,  "no  special  offerings 
will  be  taken."  This  reduces  missionary  giving 
to  a  mere  mechanical  process  and  leaves  no  room 
for  the  appeal  to  make  its  impress  upon  the  heart 
and  life  by  furnishing  an  opportunity  to  respond. 
It  overlooks  entirely  the  educational  value  of  the 
inspiration  to  attempt  and  accomplish  something 
worthy  of  a  follower  of  Christ. 

SPECIAL   OBJECTS 

One  of  the  most  effective  methods  of  develop- 
ing missionary  interest  and  giving  is  to  have  a 
specific  field  or  object  toward  which  the  contri- 
butions to  each  particular  cause  are  applied.  In 
this  way  the  Sunday-school  pupils  are  brought 
into  closer  contact  with  the  field  and  the  worker. 
They  look  upon  him  as  their  representative  from 
whom  they  receive  regular  reports  and  who  has 
a  large  place  in  their  sympathies  and  prayers. 
The  adoption  of  a  mission  Sunday  school  in  a 
needy  locality  requiring  a  contribution  of  but 
twenty-five  dollars  annually,  thus  furnishing  it 
with  needful  literature  and  other  supplies,  has 
been  the  beginning  from  which  a  number  of  Sun- 


MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  n 

day  schools  have  developed  into  large  sharehold- 
ers in  a  Sunday-school  missionary's  support. 

THROUGH   THE   EYE   GATE 

For  the  more  intelligent  consideration  of  Sun- 
day-school missions  as  set  forth  in  this  compila- 
tion of  exercises,  a  map  of  the  United  States,  size 
five  by  seven  feet,  may  be  obtained  for  one  dol- 
lar upon  application  to  Superintendent  of  Docu- 
ments, Government  Printing  Office,  Washington, 
D.  C.  This  should  be  hung  on  the  wall  of  the 
Sunday-school  room.  Upon  this  map  should  be 
marked  the  field  in  which  the  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionary in  whose  support  the  school  has  taken  a 
share,  is  at  work.  Or,  if  the  school  is  having  its 
offerings  applied  toward  the  organization  and 
maintenance  of  mission  Sunday  schools,  red  or 
blue  stars  or  seals  should  be  affixed  to  show  the 
location  of  these  schools.  The  work  should  be 
remembered  and  referred  to  regularly  in  the  open- 
ing exercises,  and  especially  in  prayers.  There 
is  a  decided  advantage  in  focusing  the  attention 
upon  a  specific  object  which  stands  as  a  type  of 
the  work  of  one  of  the  missionary  boards,  and 
in  keeping  this  before  the  school  as  a  responsibil- 
ity which  the  school  is  expected  to  meet  with  un- 
failing regularity. 

LITERATURE 

The  use  of  the  leaflets  published  by  the  Boards 
which  describe  the  work  that  is  being  done  on 
various  fields  is  earnestly  recommended.  The 
chairman  of  the  Missionary  Committee  should 
establish  communication  with  the  headquarters 
of  the  Boards,  and  should  ask  for  copies  of  such 
leaflets   as   they  issue   for  free   distribution,  and 


12  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

order  quantities  of  those  that  may  be  selected 
as  being  of  special  interest  to  the  Sunday  school 
for  circulation  among  the  pupils.  This  should  be 
done  at  least  three  or  four  times  a  year. 


II 

STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 

Note  to  tJie  Leader: 

After  the  leader's  introduction,  the  story  for  the  week 
may  be  read  by  him,  it  may  be  told  by  some  one  se- 
lected for  the  purpose,  or  it  may  be  recited  as  an 
impersonation. 


"AREN'T  YOU  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
STARTER?" 

OPEN    WITH    PRAYER 

"Do  you  want  a  ride,  mister?" 

It  was  the  piping  voice  of  a  little  boy,  and  I 
turned  to  see  who  gave  the  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionary such  a  cordial  invitation. 

For  more  than  a  mile  back,  as  I  struggled  over 
the  road  on  a  fourteen-mile  walk,  I  had  noticed 
some  one  coming.  The  rig  had  caught  up  to  me 
at  last. 

A  little  boy  eleven  years  old  was  the  driver  of 
a  poor  horse  hitched  to  a  rickety  wagon,  carry- 
ing a  milk  can. 

I  was  glad  to  get  a  lift,  for  the  road  was  long 
and  heavy ;   it  had  been  raining  the  night  before. 

As  I  climbed  into  the  wagon  I  took  a  look  at 
the  boy.  He  wore  an  old  coat,  many  sizes  too 
large  for  him,  had  long  bushy  hair  and  a  dirty 
face,  and  two  bright  eyes.  Altogether  he  had 
a  wide-awake  appearance. 

He  looked  at  me  and  said,  "Aren't  you  the  Sun- 
day-school starter?" 

I  confessed  that  I  was,  and  then  began  to  ask 
questions. 

"Aren't  you  a  pretty  small  boy  to  carry  milk 
to  the  creamery?" 

"No,"  he  replied,  "I  have  been  doing  this  for 
over  three  years." 

"My,  you  are  rather  small  to  drive  so  far,"  I 
said. 

"I  can  do  as  much  work  as  any  man,"  he  re- 
i5 


16  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

plied.  "I  and  my  pa  have  done  all  of  the  haying 
this  summer." 

I  thought  the  boy  must  be  either  a  remarkable 
worker  or  else  the  father  was  a  very  poor  worker. 
The  boy  set  me  right  by  telling  me  that  he  did 
the  loading  and  his  father  the  pitching. 

Just  then  we  passed  a  deserted  farmhouse. 
Here  were  perhaps  ten  acres  of  cleared  land.  The 
boy  said  :  "I  and  pa  bought  the  hay  on  this  place, 
too,  and  made  it  all  alone.  You  see  the  four 
stacks  of  hay?  I  stacked  them,  and  pa  did  the 
pitching." 

I  asked  the  boy  if  he  went  to  school.  He  said 
that  he  could  not  go  to  school.  "I  and  pa  have 
to  hustle  to  pay  the  debts  and  make  a  living  for 
the  others,"  was  his  explanation.  There  were  five 
children  at  home. 

Further  conversation  brought  out  the  facts  that 
he  had  never  been  to  church  or  Sunday  school, 
nor  had  any  of  the  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily, so  far  as  he  knew,  for  they  had  lived  so  far 
out  in  the  woods  that  there  was  neither  church 
nor  Sunday  school  anywhere  near  his  home. 

After  visiting  the  people  I  found  that  the  story 
the  boy  had  told  me  was  true,  and  I  succeeded 
in  organizing  the  first  Sunday  school  in  that  re- 
gion. 

The  report  of  the  plan  to  organize  a  Sunday 
school  reached  the  boy's  home  and  Sunday 
brought  them  all  out  to  the  meeting.  After  the 
service,  the  boy  came  up  and  told  me  how  many 
times  he  and  the  other  members  of  the  family 
had  been  out  picking  berries  all  day  Sunday,  and 
many  other  things  about  the  conditions  which 
had  existed  in  that  community.  I  had  begun  to 
doubt  the  wisdom  of  attempting  to  have  a  Sun- 
day school  so  far  back  in  the  woods  and  I  feared 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  \y 


it  would  die.  But  the  boy's  story  only  empha- 
sized the  crying  need  of  the  community,  so  I  de- 
cided to  do  my  best  to  keep  the  Sunday  school 
going. 

Thus  the  light  of  the  gospel  through  the  Sun- 
da)^  school  came  into  that  community  and  to-day 
they  have  an  organized  church,  a  good  Sunday 
school  and  an  enthusiastic  Christian  Endeavor 
Society. 


HOW  AUNT  SYLVIA 

AND  THE  PREACHER  HELPED  THE 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Scripture  Selection:  Acts  8:26-37 

"We  don't  want  no  new  religion  here." 

Many  times  that  day  the  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionary had  heard  those  words  as  he  called  at  the 
doors  of  the  little  negro  cabins  on  a  large  planta- 
tion in  Georgia,  in  the  effort  to  interest  them  in 
a  Sunday  school. 

At  length  he  was  directed  to  call  upon  old  Aunt 
Sylvia,  a  leader  in  the  neighborhood,  who  in- 
formed him  that  the  only  religious  services  they 
had  were  the  "big  meetings  held  out  of  doors  in 
summer."  The  missionary  found  Aunt  Sylvia  in- 
terested in  religions  things,  however,  and  finally 
proposed  that  a  Sunday  school  be  organized,  to 
meet  in  her  house.  This  she  at  once  refused  to 
permit,  saying  that  she  was  the  "mother  of  Noah's 
Ark  Baptist  Church,"  and  therefore  could  not  con- 
sider such  a  proposal. 

The  missionary  then  began  a  careful  canvass 
of  the  entire  neighborhood  in  search  of  some  one 
to  take  the  lead  in  conducting  the  Sunday  school. 
Finally  he  was  directed  to  a  "fine  Baptist 
preacher"  as  being  the  man  most  likely  to  assist 
him.  The  missionary  found  him  plowing,  and  after 
stating  the  object  of  his  visit,  he  was  informed 
that  the  man  was  not  a  "book-learnt  preacher," 
but  a  "powerful  Baptist  gospel  preacher." 

The  plantation  overseer  interrupted  their  con- 
versation,   attempting    to    drive    the    missionary 

18 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


19 


away,  but  he  was  not  to  be  diverted  so  easily. 
He  requested  that  he  be  permitted  to  help  the 
preacher  in  his  plowing. 

When  the  day's  work  was  done  the  missionary 
accompanied  the  preacher  to  his  humble  home 
and,  before  retiring,  asked  him  to  read  a  portion 
of  Scripture.  He  took  up  an  old  hymn  book,  in- 
stead of  a  Bible,  opened  it,  and  holding  it  up- 
side down,  began  to  quote  a  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture as  though  he  were  reading  it. 

By  tactful  reasoning  the  missionary  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  the  man's  cooperation,  and  he 
promised  to  win  Aunt  Sylvia's  assistance. 

The  Sunday  school  was  organized  and  met  in 
Aunt  Sylvia's  little  house.  Boards  were  laid 
across  chairs  for  seats,  and  at  every  meeting  the 
room  was  overcrowded.  Later  a  Presbyterian 
negro  minister  was  assigned  to  preach  occasion- 
ally for  these  people  and  the  response  was  far 
beyond  their  highest  hopes. 

The  little  company  was  soon  compelled  to  move 
from  Aunt  Sylvia's  home,  and  for  some  time  the 
services  were  held  in  a  bush  arbor.  From  this 
beginning  two  good  Presbyterian  churches  have 
grown,  besides  an  academy  where  the  boys  and 
girls  for  miles  around  are  being  educated. 

Close  with  prayer  that  the  light  of  the  gospel  may 
dispel  the  darkness  of  ignorance  and  superstition 
among  our  southern  negroes. 


HOW  THE  MISSIONARY  TOOK 
CHRISTMAS  TO  FAIRVIEW 

Leader: — Did  you  ever  wonder  what  kind  of 
Christmas  some  of  the  poor  folks  have  out  on 
the  plains  where  it  seldom  rains,  where  the  crops 
are  so  small  that  the  people  can  hardly  get  a  liv- 
ing, and  where  there  are  no  evergreens  to  use 
for  Christmas  trees?  A  story  comes  to  us  from 
a  Sunday-school  missionary  in  western  Kansas 
who  was  determined  that  some  of  the  boys  and 
girls  from  the  little  shacks  and  dugouts  should 
have  something  to  remind  them  of  Christmas. 

"The  most  interesting  position  I  have  held  dur- 
ing the  past  year  was  that  of  acting  as  a  clearing 
house  for  Christmas,"  the  missionary  tells  us. 
"Christmas,  in  some  parts  of  the  pioneer  west, 
where  they  had  no  crops  and  where  there  was 
nothing  with  which  to  provide  any  sort  of  Christ- 
mas, has  been  a  heartbreaking  time  for  some  peo- 
ple. I  knew  about  what  sort  of  Christmas  some 
of  the  folks  would  have.  Before  Christmas  I  told 
some  of  the  Sunday  schools  that  were  better  off 
about  some  of  the  others.  They  were  anxious  to 
help.  The  result  was  that  real  Christmas  cheer, 
generous  gifts  and  liberal  treats  were  provided 
for  about  five  hundred  people  of  all  ages  who 
otherwise  would  have  had  little  or  nothing. 

"Let  me  tell  the  story  of  one  of  the  Christmas 
entertainments  which,  with  modification,  is  the 
story  of  the  rest. 

"In  the  fall  I  was  talking  with  one  of  our  best 
superintendents  out  west  who  was  greatly  dis- 

20 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  21 

couraged.  The  trouble  was  that  the  people  had 
no  crops  that  year  and  were  discouraged  about 
everything.  Just  before  Christmas  I  wrote  this 
superintendent  that  I  thought  we  could  see  the 
Sunday  school  through  with  a  Christmas.  I  told 
him  to  start  something  the  next  Sunday,  but  not 
to  tell  our  secret  until  he  heard  from  me  again. 

"The  next  Sunday  he  proposed  that  they  pre- 
pare a  program  and  get  ready  for  Christmas.  Not 
they!  They  didn't  have  anything  for  a  Christ- 
mas and  they  didn't  know  where  they  could  get 
anything.  They  were  so  blue  and  so  hard  up  that 
they  did  not  want  even  to  consider  Christmas. 
They  finally  did  make  a  beginning,  but  very  re- 
luctantly. 

"When  they  heard  from  me  later  they  started 
with  enthusiasm.  They  prepared  a  fine  program. 
Over  a  hundred  people,  gathered  from  miles 
around,  assembled  in  the  little  schoolhouse  at  the 
service,  and  all  received  a  Christmas  remem- 
brance. The  house  was  decorated,  but  it  was 
pathetic  to  see  their  Christmas  tree — a  little  tree 
with  limbs  bare  of  leaves,  around  which  they 
wrapped  white  cloth.  They  hung  as  many  of  the 
presents  on  this  as  possible.  Gifts  and  treats  were 
sent  to  thirty  people  who  could  not  be  present. 

"Wasn't  it  worth  while,  to  drive  out  the  blues 
and  bring  in  Christmas  cheer? 

"But  this  is  not  all.  Shortly  after,  the  superin- 
tendent wrote  me  that  more  people  were  coming 
to  Sunday  school  than  before  Christmas.  A  little 
later  he  wrote  me  that  still  more  were  coming. 
Later  another  letter  said,  'There  were  more  than 
fifty  out  last  Sabbath/  The  help  we  gave  them 
at  Christmas  time  had  put  heart  into  them  and 
they  had  taken  a  new  grip  on  things  and  were 
coming  and  enthusiastic.    The  whole  atmosphere 


22  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

of   the   neighborhood   had   changed.     Wasn't   it 
worth  while?" 

Leader: — Could  not  our  Sunday  school  help 
a  poor  little  mission  school,  somewhere,  to 
have  a  Christmas  this  year?  How  many  would 
like  to  help  pack  a  box  of  Christmas  toys  and 
dolls  and  warm  caps  and  mittens,  and  other  use- 
ful things,  to  send  to  a  Sunday-school  mission- 
ary? (Call  for  raised  hands.)  Very  good;  then 
bring  your  gifts,  however  small,  not  later  than 
the  last  Sabbath  in  November,  and  we  shall  send 
them  off  in  time  to  give  a  real  Christmas  treat  to 
children  who  do  not  have  the  good  things  that 
we  enjoy  in  such  abundance. 

Prayer. 

Note:  Write  to  the  Sabbath-School  and  Missionary 
Department,  Witherspoon  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
for  the  name  and  address  of  a  Sunday-school  mission- 
ary who  will  distribute  your  gifts  among  those  who  are 
needy  and  who  will  report  to  you  how  they  were  re- 
ceived. 


HE  WALKED  ONE  HUNDRED  AND 
FIFTY  MILES  TO  PREACH 

OPEN    WITH    PRAYER 

Leader: — What  is  a  Sunday-school  missionary? 
He  is  the  gospel  pioneer.  He  penetrates  to  the 
remotest  parts,  reaching  the  settlements  back 
from  the  main  lines  of  travel,  far  removed  from 
railroads,  where  people  are  living  in  loneliness 
and  spiritual  destitution. 

One  of  these  missionaries,  working  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  State  of  Washington,  has  had 
strange  experiences.  Let  him  tell  us  of  some  of 
them  in  his  own  words : 

"It  was  a  most  unusual  event  to  the  people  of 
an  isolated  mining  camp  when  a  preacher,  the 
Sunday-school  missionary,  turned  up  in  a  cer- 
tain mining  town.  Politics  and  ore  rested  awhile 
in  the  hotels,  saloons  and  lounging  places,  to  dis- 
cuss the  preacher.  Certainly  they  were  going  to 
'turn  out'  to  hear  the  parson.  There  was  no  need 
of  coaxing  and  wheedling  people  into  service  in 
this  mountain  neighborhood.  All  that  was  nec- 
essary was  to  pass  the  word  along  the  line.  And 
along  it  was  passed  from  bar  to  bar,  from  shack 
to  shack.  So  welcome  was  the  preacher  visitor 
that  night  that  the  Odd  Fellows,  who  were  to 
hold  their  annual  memorial  service,  kindly  gave 
up  service  and  hall  in  order  that  the  camp  might 
hear  the  parson.  Yes,  better  still,  two  of  the 
bars  closed  and  the  bartenders  attended  service. 

"In  one  of  the  large  lumber  camps  I  visited,  it 
was  my  unusual  privilege  to  persuade  the  'boys' 

23 


24 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


to  give  up  the  Saturday  night  dance  so  that  the 
late  hours  would  not  interfere  with  the  Sabbath 
service.  This  indeed  is  a  rare  instance  of  sacri- 
fice, especially  where  dancing  is  the  rage  and  the 
only  recreation.  And  yet  this  sacrifice  is  easily 
accounted  for  in  their  desire  to  hear  the  gospel. 
It  did  one  good  to  see  these  hardy  men  of  the 
forest  take  their  lanterns  that  night  and  trudge 
through  the  woods  in  slush  and  mud  to  tell  the 
fiddlers  not  to  come  to  the  hall  that  night,  as 
there  was  going  to  be  preachin'  to-morrow,  and 
a  crowd  there  was  on  the  morrow.  All  the 
benches  of  the  mess  house  were  taken  to  the  hall 
and  filled  to  the  jamming  point,  and  many  peo- 
ple looked  in  through  the  windows.  It  was  in- 
deed a  red-letter  day  for  the  women  and  children 
of  the  camp,  for  a  Sunday  school  was  organized 
and  the  jacks  or  the  bohunks,  as  they  are  called, 
bought  and  paid  for  the  Sunday-school  hymn 
books  that  night. 

"O  how  great  the  need  of  the  Sunday  school 
in  this  camp  and  scores  of  others  just  like  it ! 
Would  that  I  could  minister  to  such  places  more 
often !" 


HOW  A  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  QUARTERLY 
BROUGHT  HIM  BACK 

OPEN    WITH    PRAYER 

Leader: — Can  you  imagine  what  it  means  to 
a  person  who  has  lived  for  a  number  of  years 
far  away  from  all  his  relatives  and  friends,  to 
receive  a  message  or  a  reminder  of  some  sort  as- 
suring him  that  he  is  not  forgotten?  It  brings 
back  a  flood  of  recollections  of  former  days;  and 
it  shortens  the  distance  between  him  and  his 
loved  ones.  I  wonder  if  we  can  appreciate  the 
loneliness  of  some  of  the  people  who  have  gone 
into  the  remote  rural  districts  of  some  of  the 
western  states,  many  of  whom  never  hear  from 
their  old  homes  back  East,  and  who  feel  that  they 
have  been  completely  forgotten? 

I  have  here  a  book  called  "By-Products  of  the 
Rural  Sunday  School,"  which  tells  us,  among 
many  other  interesting  things,  how  our  Sunday- 
school  missionaries  are  reaching  many  of  these 
people,  bringing  new  hope  and  cheer  into  their 
lives  by  making  them  feel  that  some  one  does 
care  for  them  and  is  interested  in  their  welfare. 
Here  is  a  specimen  of  the  good  things  which  this 
book  contains : 

"One  of  these  missionaries  in  traveling  over  a 
section  of  country  where  he  had  been  obliged  to 
walk  more  than  one  hundred  miles,  saw  a  man 
some  distance  away  slowly  making  his  way  down 
the  rocky  trail,  leading  his  horse.  As  he  came 
nearer,  the  missionary  greeted  him,  calling  him 

25 


26  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

by  name,  having  seen  it  on  the  letter  box  which 
he  had  passed  a  short  while  before.  He  seemed 
startled  and  yet  pleased  at  being  addressed  by  a 
stranger.  The  missionary  then  introduced  him- 
self. He  found  that  the  man  was  interested  in 
better  things.  He  said  he  had  always  attended 
Sunday  school  and  church  when  he  was  'at  home 
in  New  York  and  Philadelphia.'  He  had  home- 
steaded,  and  'up  there  over  the  ridge'  he  was  try- 
ing to  build  a  home.  His  father  had  come  out  to 
live  with  him,  but  ill  health  overtook  him,  and  he 
died.  This  man  had  been  his  father's  nurse  and 
undertaker.  He  had  laid  his  companion  to  rest 
among  the  rocks  of  that  isolated  homestead.  'Yes, 
it  gets  lonely  sometimes,'  he  said,  but  a  smile 
crossed  his  lips  as  he  changed  his  narrative.  T 
had  a  strange  thing  happen  to  me  the  other  day,' 
he  continued.  T  came  down  for  my  mail  and  some 
one  had  sent  me  a  magazine.  It  had  a  sphinx  head 
on  the  cover.  I  opened  it  and  found  it  was  a  Sun- 
day-school Quarterly.  Don't  you  know  it  sort  of 
got  me  for  a  few  minutes.  We  fellows  out  here  get 
careless  and  forget  about  Sunday — and  I  guess 
everything  else  that's  good.  I  had  not  been  read- 
ing my  Bible.  Well,  it  brought  back  to  my  mem- 
ory those  dear  old  days  in  New  York  when  I 
used  to  be  a  regular  attendant  at  church  and 
Sunday  school.  How  did  they  know  I  was  out 
here  and  lonely?  How  did  they  find  out 
about  me?  I  tell  you  I  thought  I  was  for- 
gotten— but  some  one  must  have  cared.  It 
helped  me  to  get  back  into  a  little  different  way 
of  living.'  It  was  this  very  missionary  to  whom 
he  was  talking  who  had  mailed  the  Quarterly 
to  him." 

This  book  will  be  lent  to  the  first  one  who  asks 
for  it  after  the  school  is  dismissed  to-dav.     It 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  27 

will  be  added  to  our  Sunday-school  library  and 
every  member  of  the  school  ought  to  read  it.  It 
is  full  of  stirring  stories  of  frontier  life  and  ex- 
periences. 


THE   SKY  PILOT  WHO   COULD   NOT   BE 
FRIGHTENED 

The  Sunday-school  missionary  was  visiting  a 
remote  neighborhood  known  as  Three  Creeks, 
back  in  the  frontier  regions  of  Idaho,  which,  un- 
til recently,  had  been  inhabited  almost  exclusively 
by  cattlemen.  He  called  upon  all  the  families 
within  a  radius  of  ten  miles,  inviting  them  to  at- 
tend a  gospel  service  at  the  schoolhouse.  They 
all  seemed  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  to  hear 
the  missionary  and  promised  to  come.  Some 
cowboys,  however,  who  heard  of  the  proposed 
meeting,  determined  that  they  would  break  it  up. 
They  said  they  didn't  want  any  sky  pilots  in  that 
neck  of  the  woods. 

They  had  secured  a  jug  of  whisky  from  one 
of  the  freighters  and  were  preparing  for  trouble. 
They  ran  their  horses  up  and  down  past  the 
roadhouse,  playing  the  cowboy,  whooping  and 
firing  their  revolvers,  and  making  their  boast  of 
what  they  were  going  to  do  that  evening  to  the 
Sky  Pilot.  Several  of  the  people  warned  the  mis- 
sionary that  they  were  g'oing  to  make  trouble  and 
told  him  how  they  were  going  to  shoot  out  the 
lights,  break  up  the  meeting,  and  run  the  Sky 
Pilot  out  of  town. 

The  missionary  went  to  the  schoolhouse  about 
seven  o'clock.  People  were  beginning  to  gather, 
coming  in  wagons  and  on  horseback.  By  eight 
o'clock  every  seat  in  the  little  schoolhouse  was 
occupied.  The  cowboys  were  there ;  a  few  were 
standing  in  the  rear  of  the  room,  while  others 

28 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


29 


were  outside  of  the  door.  They  sang  several  of 
the  old  familiar  hymns,  and  the  missionary  invited 
everyone  to  help  in  the  singing.  He  saw  some  of 
the  cowboys  singing,  too.  He  prayed  for  them, 
and  when  he  closed  his  prayer  he  saw  that  some  of 
them  were  impressed.  As  he  went  on  with  his  ad- 
dress, which  was  directed  especially  to  them,  they 
watched  him  closely.  He  saw  that  they  were  be- 
coming more  and  more  interested,  and  before  he 
was  through  it  was  evident  there  would  be  no 
disturbance.  At  the  close  of  the  service  many 
pressed  around  him  to  express  their  gratitude. 
The  mother  of  a  large  family  said,  "We  have 
lived  here  sixteen  years  and  this  is  the  first  gos- 
pel service  we  have  had."  A  boy  more  than  fif- 
teen years  of  age  said,  "I  have  lived  here  all  my 
life;  we  have  never  had  Sunday  school  and  I 
didn't  know  what  Sunday  school  was." 

The  next  day  the  leader  of  this  band  of  cow- 
boys came  to  the  missionary,  humbly  apologized 
for  their  actions,  begging  the  missionary  to  re- 
main with  them  and  to  conduct  evangelistic  serv- 
ices. During  these  meetings  several  of  the  cow- 
boys were  led  to  accept  Christ  as  their  Saviour. 

Close  with  prayer  for  our  Sunday-school  missionaries 
who,  in  the  face  of  discouragements,  difficulties  and 
hardships,  are  taking  gospel  privileges  to  those  who 
are  destitute  in  these  far-distant  places. 


WAITED  THIRTY-THREE  YEARS  FOR 
THE  MISSIONARY 

Scripture  Selection:  Psalm  72 

Leader: — Idaho  is  a  frontier  mission  field.  It 
contains  single  counties  that  are  larger  than  some 
eastern  states.  The  population  is  increasing  rap- 
idly and  hundreds  of  families  may  be  found  who 
are  wholly  destitute  of  any  religious  privileges. 
They  are  living  in  localities  where  churches  could 
not  be  maintained,  but  where  Sunday  schools  may 
be  organized  and  successfully  conducted,  uniting 
the  people  for  the  common  purpose  of  Bible  study 
and  the  uplift  of  the  moral  and  social  ideals  of 
the  entire  community. 

A  Sunday-school  missionary  sends  us  an  in- 
teresting story  which  illustrates  a  condition 
which  he  and  other  Sunday-school  missionaries 
have  frequently  found  in  the  course  of  their 
labors. 

"A  year  ago,  I  organized  a  school  on  one  of 
my  exploring  trips  where  a  ranchman,  at  whose 
home  I  stayed  overnight,  was  indifferent  toward 
anything  religious.  When  leaving  I  went  to  his 
home  to  get  my  grip.  He  followed  me  in,  and 
going  to  an  old  trunk  he  brought  out  an  old 
leather-covered  Bible  and  took  from  between  its 
leaves  a  paper  and  handed  it  to  me.  It  was  his 
letter  of  dismission  from  his  old  church  in 
Scotland  to  the  Church  in  America.  He  had 
lived  thirty-three  years  in  that  valley  and  this 
was  the  first  gospel  service  held  there  in  that 
period. 

30 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  31 

"A  few  weeks  later,  I  received  a  letter  from 
the  superintendent  of  the  school  saying  that  this 
man  was  then  teaching  the  Bible  class.  I  visited 
that  little  school  again  this  summer  and  received 
a  warm  welcome  in  the  home  of  this  ranchman. 
I  found  that  the  little  school  had  continued  every 
Sunday  during  the  year  and  that  its  influence  was 
far-reaching.  There  was  no  observance  of  the 
Sabbath  in  that  valley  on  my  first  visit;  but  this 
year  for  miles  up  and  down,  the  people  were  at 
the  service;  in  some  cases  the  entire  family, 
father,  mother  and  children.  The  old  ranchman 
had  recently  bought  an  automobile,  and  before 
the  service  he  went  ten  miles  down  the  valley 
and  gathered  seven  or  eight  children  and  adults, 
brought  them  to  the  service,  and  took  them  home 
after  the  service  was  over." 

During  the  following  winter  this  missionary 
was  addressing  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Boise,  Idaho,  and  he  referred  to  this  little  school. 
At  the  close  of  his  address  a  young  woman  in 
the  audience  rose  and  asked  permission  to  speak; 
he  at  once  recognized  her  as  the  young  woman 
elected  superintendent  of  the  school.  She  cor- 
roborated what  he  had  said.  She  had  gone  to 
Boise  with  a  younger  sister  who  wished  to 
enter  school  there  and  had  secured  a  posi- 
tion in  one  of  the  dry  goods  stores.  Largely 
because  of  the  instruction  received  in  the 
little  school  in  their  country  home,  she  and 
her  sister  were  in  the  house  of  God  that  Sunday 
evening. 

Leader: — We  who  have  all  the  advantages  of 
church  and  Sunday  school  and  Christian  homes, 
ought  to  be  sympathetic  toward  these  people  in 
the  frontier  regions  of  our  own  country;  and  we 


32  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

ought  to  be  glad  for  the  opportunity  of  helping 
them  by  our  gifts  and  our  prayers. 

Close  with  prayer  that  means  may  be  found  to  send 
more  workers  into  such  places,  and  that  the  boys  and 
girls  in  these  far-distant  neighborhoods  may  be  won 
to  Christ  and  his  service. 


A  RECRUIT  FOR  THE  MINISTRY 

The  Sunday-school  missionary,  weary  and  dis- 
couraged, after  a  canvass  of  a  neighborhood  that 
extended  over  a  district  one  hundred  miles  square, 
drove  to  the  door  of  a  homesteader's  shack  seek- 
ing lodging  for  the  night.  He  found  that  its  only 
occupants  were  a  father  and  his  twelve-year-old 
boy.  In  all  the  homes  he  had  visited  he  had 
found  but  one  mother  who  wanted  the  Sunday 
school.  He  was  discouraged,  but  not  defeated. 
That  night  as  he  thought  of  the  boys  and  girls 
growing  up  in  those  prairie  homes  without  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  his  Word,  he  determined 
to  organize  a  Sunday  school  even  if  he  could  get 
only  a  few  of  them  to  attend. 

In  the  morning  he  announced  to  the  father  that 
he  had  determined  to  attempt  the  organization 
of  a  Sunday  school  and  that  for  that  purpose  he 
would  hold  a  gospel  service  on  the  following 
Tuesday  night. 

On  the  evening  appointed,  the  twelve-year-old 
son  of  the  house  was  the  first  to  reach  the  school- 
house.  He  attended  regularly  as  pupil  for  three 
years,  and  then  became  a  teacher  of  a  class  of 
boys.  Soon  afterwards  he  was  elected  superin- 
tendent. 

About  two  years  ago  he  went  to  Montana  to 
visit  a  brother  who  was  holding  down  a  claim. 
While  there,  he  gathered  a  small  company  around 
him  each  Sabbath  and  talked  to  them  about  the 
Sunday-school  lesson,  sometimes  having  as  many 
as  forty  people  present.     His  work  soon  devel- 

33 


34 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


oped  into  a  Sunday  school  and,  not  long  after- 
wards, a  minister  came  to  preach  to  the  people. 
The  young  man  did  the  work  of  a  missionary 
among  the  people,  and  he  is  now  looking  for- 
ward to  going  into  the  ministry,  to  which  he 
feels  that  the  Lord  has  called  him. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MANY  LANGUAGES 
Scripture  Selection:  Psalm  119  :  130 

Leader : — It  is  related  of  Dr.  Goodell  that  when, 
in  1832,  he  was  passing  through  Nicodemia,  hav- 
ing no  time  to  stop,  he  left  with  a  stranger  a 
copy  of  "The  Dairyman's  Daughter,"  in  the 
Armenian-Turkish  language.  Seventeen  years 
afterwards  he  visited  Nicodemia,  and  found  a 
church  of  more  than  forty  members,  and  a  Prot- 
estant community  of  more  than  two  hundred  per- 
sons. That  tract,  with  God's  blessing,  did  the 
work. 

In  like  manner  it  has  been  found  that  the  most 
effective  way  of  evangelizing  and  Americanizing 
our  large  immigrant  people  who  speak  languages 
different  from  ours,  is  to  give  them  the  gospel 
by  distributing  Bibles,  tracts  and  other  religious 
literature  in  their  native  tongue  among  them. 

The  Waldensian  Church  in  Italy  which,  as  Mil- 
ton says, 

"...  Kept  God's  truth  so  pure  of  old 
While    all    our    fathers    worshiped    stocks    and 
stones," 

was  able  to  maintain  the  light  of  the  gospel  burn- 
ing in  the  Middle  Ages  through  the  work  of  its 
colporteurs,  who  let  the  Word  of  God  do  the  work 
which  no  preacher  was  allowed  to  do  at  that  time. 
Whittier,  in  the  immortal  lines  of  his  "Vaudois 
Teacher,"  well  describes  both  their  method  and 
the  results: 

35 


36  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Have  the  following  recited  by  a  member  of  the 
school: 

THE   VAUDOIS   TEACHER 

O   lady   fair,   I   have  yet  a  gem  which   a  purer 

lustre  flings, 
Than  the  diamond  flash  of  the  jewelled  crown 

on  the  lofty  brow  of  kings ; 
A   wonderful    pearl    of    exceeding   price,    whose 

virtue  shall  not  decay, 
Whose  light  shall  be  as  a  spell  to  thee  and  a 

blessing  on  thy  way ! 

The  cloud  went  off  from  the  pilgrim's  brow,  as 

a  small  and  meagre  book, 
Unchased   with   gold   or  gem   of  cost,   from  his 

folding  robe  he  took ! 
"Here,   lady  fair,   is   the  pearl   of  price,  may  it 

prove  as  such  to  thee! 
Nay — keep  thy  gold — I  ask  it  not,  for  the  Word 

of  God  is  free  IV 

The  hoary  traveler  went  his  way,  but  the  gift 
he  left  behind 

Hath  had  its  pure  and  perfect  work  on  that  high- 
born maiden's  mind, 

And  she  hath  turned  from  the  pride  of  sin  to 
the  lowliness  of  truth, 

And  given  her  human  heart  to  God  in  its  beau- 
tiful hour  of  youth ! 

Leader: — The  same  method  is  being  employed 
to-day.  Colporteurs  or  "Bible-men"  are  being 
sent  out  as  missionaries  to  visit  among  their  fel- 
low countrymen,  distributing  Bibles,  Testaments 
and  other  religious  books  and  leaflets  in  various 
languages.    The  report  of  one  year's  effort  shows : 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  37 

1.  Forty-five  thousand  families  visited  with  the 
gospel  message. 

2.  Twenty  thousand  Bibles,  Testaments  and 
other  religious  books  distributed  by  sale  or  gift, 
in  at  least  twenty  different  languages. 

In  addition,  our  Sabbath-School  Board  is  pub- 
lishing six  weekly  religious  papers  published 
throughout  the  )rear  in  Bohemian,  Hungarian, 
Italian,  Polish  and  Ruthenian.  One  million  copies 
of  these  papers  are  distributed  each  year  besides 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  Bible  picture 
cards  containing  the  gospel  story  printed  on  the 
back  of  each  card.  These  cards  were  published 
in  Bohemian,  Hungarian,  Italian,  Polish,  Ruthen- 
ian and  Spanish. 


10 
AMONG  THE  GOLD  SEEKERS 

After  a  thirty-mile  ride  through  the  rolling, 
sagebrush  country,  the  Sunday-school  mission- 
ary reached  a  new  mining  camp.  About  one 
hundred  and  forty  tents  were  already  up.  About 
three  hundred  men  were  on  the  ground,  and  the 
country  for  miles  around  had  been  staked  off  in 
mining  claims.  The  missionary  secured  a  bed  in 
the  only  hotel  in  town,  a  tent  twelve  by  sixteen 
feet  and  with  accommodations  for  five  guests. 

A  saloon  was  kindly  offered  the  missionary  for 
the  first  church  service,  but  a  larger  place  was 
found,  a  tent  used  by  the  lumber  company  for 
storing  hay  and  grain.  The  bales  of  hay  were 
arranged  about  the  walls  of  the  tent  and  made 
very  comfortable  seats.  The  sacks  of  grain  were 
piled  to  the  peak  of  the  tent,  making  a  comfort- 
able gallery  in  which  twenty  young  men  sat. 

A  violin  teacher  from  Kansas  City  volunteered 
to  assist  with  the  music.  The  only  violin  in  camp 
was  secured. 

Some  of  the  young  men  felt  the  need  of  a 
church  bell.  Going  to  the  store  they  secured  a 
piece  of  drill  steel  about  ten  feet  long.  A  piece 
of  wire  was  attached  to  each  end.  Two  men  held 
the  bar  while  a  third  hammered  on  the  middle 
of  it  with  an  ax.  The  noise  sounded  like  a  dozen 
church  bells.  Soon,  from  all  directions,  the  peo- 
ple began  to  come;  soon  the  tent  was  crowded. 
More  than  eighty  persons  were  there. 

As  the  missionary,  the  violinist  and  the  leader 
of  the  singing  entered  the  tent,  they  were  greeted 

38 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


39 


with  a  hearty  round  of  applause,  the  customary 
greeting  on  social  occasions  in  mining  camps 
when  the  violinist  appears. 

A  minute  later  the  company  was  standing  and 
reverently  singing  "Praise  God  from  whom  all 
blessings  flow."  No  nonsense  now!  Every  head 
was  reverently  bowed  during  the  invocation.  The 
service  was  begun.  For  fifteen  minutes  they  sang 
such  hymns  as  "Joy  to  the  world !  the  Lord  is 
come,"  "Abide  with  Me,  fast  falls  the  eventide," 
"Sun  of  my  soul,  thou  Saviour  dear."  There  was 
an  hour  of  reverent  worship. 

Monday  morning  a  choice  piece  of  land  was 
given  by  the  town-site  company,  one  block  from 
the  proposed  business  center  of  town.  The  sage- 
brush was  cut  from  the  lot  and  a  sign  put  up  in- 
dicating the  probable  site  of  a  Presbyterian 
church. 

Close  with  prayer. 


11 

THE  RETURNED  EMIGRANT 
A  MISSIONARY 

Scripture  Selection:  Ecclesiastes  n  :6 

A  returned  emigrant  from  America,  who  had 
been  converted  in  a  New  York  mission,  brought 
some  relatives  and  friends  together  and  told  them 
of  New  York.     He  said: 

"I  learned  that  the  priests  cannot  send  you  to 
hell  or  forgive  your  sins.  Jesus  only  can  do 
that;  it  says  so  here  in  this  Bible,  which  is  the 
same  as  the  priests  have,  but  will  not  let  you 
have." 

Then,  for  some  time,  he  explained  portions  from 
the  Bible  to  his  neighbors  as  best  he  could. 
Finally  the  parish  priest,  in  self-defense,  was 
forced  to  read  from  the  Bible  and  preach  from 
it  on  Sunday,  a  thing  seldom  done  in  Italian 
Roman  Catholic  churches.  Some  time  ago,  a 
Waldensian  missionary  came  that  way,  and  found 
an  audience  of  over  three  hundred  eager  to  hear 
him  expound  the  Bible  further.  Many  were  con- 
verted, and  the  work  is  still  going  on. 

This  is  an  illustration  of  the  widespread  influ- 
ence of  the  missionary  efforts  that  are  being  put 
forth  in  America  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
foreign  immigrants. 

Recently  a  Bohemian  who  had  purchased  a 
Bible  from  one  of  our  Bohemian  colporteurs  be- 
came so  deeply  interested  that  he  purchased  two 
more  copies  to  send  to  relatives  in  his  native 
town.  These  people  are  in  darkness  because  they 
have  been  denied  access  to  the  Word  of  God. 

40 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


41 


Let  us  include  the  immigrant  in  our  prayers  and 
let  us  try  to  develop  a  sympathetic  attitude  to- 
ward him  and  his  needs.  If  we  extend  to  him  the 
hand  of  Christian  brotherliness,  he  will  be  a  good 
American.  Shall  we  not  make  a  beginning  here 
in  our  own  town,  by  doing  something  for  the  for- 
eigners who  are  living  among  us? 

Prayer  for  the  success  of  the  efforts  of  our  missionary 
colporteurs  who  are  taking  the  gospel  to  the  foreigners 
in  America,  in  their  native  tongues. 


12 

MISSIONARY  HEROES  IN  AMERICA 

Scripture  Selection:  Acts  20  :  17-24 

We  have  a  splendid  illustration  of  self-sacrifice 
in  service  for  Jesus  in  the  lives  of  our  pioneer 
Sunday-school  missionaries.  These  men  endure 
hardships  which  can  only  be  borne  by  those  who 
have  reposed  their  entire  confidence  in  Him. 

One  of  these  missionaries  was  visiting  a  log- 
ging camp  in  northern  Wisconsin.  Traveling  all 
day,  without  an  opportunity  to  satisfy  his  hunger, 
he  reached  his  destination  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  after  a  long,  rough  ride  over  a  frozen 
roadway.  He  waited  for  two  hours  in  the  little 
log  schoolhouse  in  zero  weather  until  the  people 
gathered  for  the  meeting.  Then,  to  a  crowded 
house,  eager  for  the  gospel  message,  he  preached 
the  Word. 

Going  to  the  home  of  one  of  the  settlers  to 
spend  the  night,  he  was  given  the  best  they  had 
to  offer,  a  bunk  on  the  floor  in  the  lean-to  of  the 
one-room  log  house  where  the  father,  mother  and 
six  children  also  slept  on  the  floor. 

The  next  day  he  held  three  services,  one  in  the 
Norwegian  language,  and  then  tramped  for  miles 
through  the  woods  to  his  next  appointment. 

This  missionary  has  sixty  mission  stations  un- 
der his  care  to  which  he  is  the  only  visiting  min- 
ister. 

The  day  of  missionary  heroes  has  not  passed. 
Here  in  our  own  land  we  may  find  many  examples 
of  self-denial  in  the  Master's  service.  May  they 
lead  us  to  be  more  willing  to  make  sacrifices  in 
promoting  the  Master's  kingdom ! 

42 


13 

ONLY  TEN  PER  CENT  IN  SUNDAY 
SCHOOLS 

Leader: — How  would  you  like  to  live  in  a 
neighborhood  where  there  were  neither  churches 
nor  Sunday  schools?  Would  such  a  neighbor- 
hood be  likely  to  produce  men  and  women  of 
strong  character  who  would  be  useful  citizens? 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  are  many  places 
in  our  land  where  the  people  are  just  as  ignorant 
of  the  Bible  and  its  truths  as  though  they  lived 
in  the  darkness  of  a  heathen  country.  What  may 
we  expect  of  the  boys  and  girls  who  live  in  such 
places? 

While  we  are  thinking  about  them,  let  us  sing 
two  stanzas  of  "Rescue  the  Perishing." 

The  following  paragraph  may  be  read  or  repeated 
from  memory  by  the  Leader  or  some  one  chosen  for 
this  part. 

In  the  mountains  of  our  Southland  we  find 
thousands  of  boys  and  girls  who  are  growing  into 
manhood  and  womanhood  without  the  refining 
and  uplifting  influence  of  Bible  instruction.  Word 
comes  to  us  describing  the  condition  of  five  moun- 
tain counties  in  Tennessee  with  a  population  of 
fifty-two  thousand,  less  than  one  tenth  of  whom 
have  ever  attended  a  Sunday  school. 

Very  little  of  this  section,  except  the  county 
towns,  have  regular  preaching.  Poverty  and 
spiritual  destitution  prevail  everywhere.  The 
white  population  is  of  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia ancestry,  and  is  engaged  exclusively  in  lum- 

43 


44  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

bering  and  agricultural  pursuits.  The  soil  is  thin 
except  the  creek  and  bottom  lands,  yet  a  fair  sub- 
sistence is  derived  from  the  farms,  although  the 
methods  of  farming  are  old-fashioned.  This  sec- 
tion has  no  railroads  and  the  public  highways  are 
very  muddy  in  winter,  but  fairly  good  in  sum- 
mer and  fall. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  families  of  from 
seven  to  eleven  in  a  single  home,  and  not  a  Chris- 
tian among  them.  Many  boys  and  girls  from  five 
to  twelve  years  old  are  found  who  never  heard  a 
prayer  or  attended  a  religious  service  of  any  kind. 
They  are  a  people  of  strong  natural  endowments, 
frugal  and  industrious.  The  state  provides  only 
eighty  days  of  free  school  annually.  The  aver- 
age daily  attendance  is  fifty-three  per  cent  out  of 
a  school  population  of  nineteen  thousand  three 
hundred  and  ten.  Of  this  number  only  seven  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  pupils  in  all  five  counties 
are  higher  than  the  fifth  grade. 

Practically  the  only  social  life  known  in  this 
section  is  "Sunday  singing/'  The  people  meet 
and  spend  the  entire  day,  with  dinner  on  the 
ground,  in  singing  and  social  fellowship.  The 
meetings  are  held  in  groves  and  schoolhouses,  as 
there  are  few  church  buildings. 

The  only  religious  workers  outside  the  county 
towns  are  occasional  circuit  riders  and  a  few  old- 
time  preachers  of  a  bygone  generation  who  boast 
of  their  lack  of  "book  larnin'  "  and  that  texts  for 
the  day's  sermon  "pop"  into  their  minds  "jest  as 
they  walked  up  the  steps." 

There  are  large  neighborhoods  where  not  over 
three  or  four  are  church  members. 

Here  is  a  field  with  no  standard  of  life  worthy 
of  our  race,  decaying  and  starving  spiritually  for 
lack  of  the  uplift  and  inspiration  which  the  gos- 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  45 

pel  gives  to  men  and  communities.  Here  lie 
buried  the  social,  intellectual  and  spiritual  forces 
only  waiting  to  be  awakened  from  their  long 
slumber  into  quickening  power  by  the  Word  of 
God. 

Leader: — Let  us  remember  in  our  prayers  the 
neglected  boys  and  girls  of  the  southern  moun- 
tains to-day.    Will  Mr.  lead  us? 


14 

MISSIONARY  SCOUTS  AND  PIONEERS 

Leader: — We  have  all  read  the  thrilling  stories 
of  the  early  settlers  of  our  country,  and  we  al- 
ways like  to  hear  about  the  experiences  of  pio- 
neer days.  We  look  upon  these  sturdy  pioneers  as 
the  people  who  have  developed  the  vast  stretches 
of  territory  in  the  West  which  now  bear  rich  har- 
vests of  grain,  with  thriving  towns  and  cities  as 
centers  of  commercial  enterprise. 

Here  is  a  book  called  "On  the  Firing  Line," 
which  tells  us  in  a  most  interesting  way,  the  story 
of  the  gospel  pioneers,  known  as  the  Sabbath- 
school  missionaries,  who,  for  more  than  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  have  been  following  these  new 
settlers  as  they  penetrated  farther  and  farther 
into  the  interior,  taking  the  Word  of  God  to  them 
in  their  new  homes  and  establishing  Sunday 
schools  for  their  children.  The  experiences  of 
some  of  these  men  as  related  in  this  book  form 
one  of  the  most  interesting  chapters  of  mission- 
ary endeavor. 

I  shall  read  a  few  paragraphs  from  it: 

"I  visited  a  town  with  three  hundred  people 
that  never  had  a  Sunday  school  or  church  of  any 
kind,  but  they  did  have  seven  saloons.  When  I 
saw  the  boys  rolling  beer  kegs  across  the  street 
and  into  the  saloons,  I  shuddered  to  think  of  their 
future. 

"I  visited  the  business  men  and  explained  my 
mission.  They  agreed  that  I  could  not  do  any- 
thing there.  One  gentleman  took  me  aside  and 
46 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


47 


said,  'I  would  dislike  very  much  to  see  you  leave 
town  discouraged,  so  in  my  judgment  the  best 
thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  leave  town  before  you 
undertake  to  do  anything.'  I  told  him  I  would 
stay  and  fight  it  out.  'If  you  feel  that  way  about 
it,'  he  said,  'you  can  depend  on  me,  and  I  will  do 
all  I  can  to  help  you.' 

"We  secured  a  place  in  which  to  hold  a  meet- 
ing, the  hour  of  service  was  set,  the  homes,  places 
of  business  and  saloons  included  were  visited  and 
all  invited  to  attend  the  service.  After  doing  all 
this  I  felt  that  one  thing  more  must  be  done  to 
stir  the  people.  So  I  took  my  stand  on  the  street 
corner  between  two  saloons  and  sang  a  gospel 
song.  Then  I  invited  all  present  to  attend  the 
meeting.  The  meeting  was  held.  The  attend- 
ance was  not  large,  but  we  advertised  services  to 
continue  every  night  for  the  remainder  of  the 
week. 

"The  next  day  when  visiting  the  homes,  I  was 
passing  the  blacksmith  shop.  I  saw  that  the 
blacksmith  could  not  hope  to  attend  to  the  wants 
of  all  who  were  gathered  there.  They  were  quar- 
relling among  themselves  as  to  who  should  have 
first  attention.  Seeing  my  opportunity,  I  stepped 
up  to  the  smith  and  offered  to  help  him.  'Are 
you  a  blacksmith?'  he  asked.  'Yes,'  I  said.  'But 
you  will  soil  your  hands  and  clothing,'  he  urged. 
'Never  you  mind  that,'  I  replied,  'give  me  an 
apron  and  I  will  help  you  out.'  He  did  so,  and 
I  stepped  to  an  idle  forge,  built  a  fire  and  soon 
I  was  turning  out  work  with  the  greatest  ease 
and  pleasure. 

"I  think  it  would  be  safe  to  say  that  before 
evening  every  man  in  town  came  as  far  as  the 
door  of  the  shop.  That  night  the  congregation 
more  than  doubled,  and  we  had — what  we  did  not 


48  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

have  at  the  first  service — a  goodly  number  of  men. 
Services  were  continued  every  night  of  the  week 
with  increasing  interest. 

"On  Sunday  morning  we  met  in  the  school- 
house  for  another  service,  and  then  the  first  Sun- 
day school  in  the  town  was  organized.  In  the 
early  winter  a  series  of  meetings  was  held  in 
which  a  number  were  converted,  a  church  was 
organized,  and  steps  were  taken  to  build  a 
church." 

Leader: — This  was  the  experience  of  a  Min- 
nesota missionary  who  has  done  a  great  work 
among  the  mining  and  lumber  camps  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  that  state. 

This  book  contains  many  other  interesting 
stories.  It  is  in  our  Sunday-school  library  and 
the  first  one  who  calls  for  it  at  the  close  of  the 
session  to-day  may  have  it  to  read  during  this 
week.  Some  other  member  of  the  school  will  be 
asking  for  it  next  week,  so  the  one  who  is  for- 
tunate enough  to  get  it  to-day  should  be  sure  to 
return  it  on  the  coming  Sunday. 


15 


A    WILD    MOUNTAIN    BOY    BECOMES   A 
SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Leader: — You  have  all  heard  of  the  boy  who 
was  raised  in  the  southern  mountains  who  learned 
to  read  by  the  light  of  the  burning  logs  in  the 
open  fireplace,  and  who  became  one  of  the  great- 
est and  best  beloved  of  the  Presidents  of  the 
United  States.  Who  was  he?  Why  was  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  a  great  man? 

To-day  we  are  to  hear  about  a  mountain  boy 
who  was  notoriously  wild  and  bad,  but  who  be- 
came, under  the  transforming  power  of  God's 
Spirit,  a  mighty  force  in  leading  others  to  Christ. 

One  Sabbath  night  a  company  of  mountain 
boys  made  their  way  to  the  little  schoolhouse  on 
the  hillside  near  Clear  Creek,  where  the  Sunday- 
school  missionary  was  holding  a  series  of  revival 
meetings.  These  boys  did  not  come  because  they 
were  interested  in  the  gospel  message  of  the  mis- 
sionary; they  cared  nothing  for  such  things.  At 
the  close  of  the  service,  however,  when  the  Bible 
teacher  asked  all  who  wanted  Christ  as  their 
Saviour  to  rise,  they  were  surprised  to  see  one 
of  their  number  stand  up  with  a  look  of  deter- 
mination and  say,  "I  do  want  to  accept  Christ, 
but  it  'pears  like  sumthin'  just  keeps  a  holdin'  of 
me  back."  But  on  the  third  Sunday  afternoon, 
in  spite  of  the  jeers  of  the  boys,  he  stayed  after 
Sunday  school  to  seek  the  Lord.  He  had  waited 
for  that  "quawr  feelin',"  the  assuring  experience 
of  the  mountaineer,  but  finally  came  just  as  he 
was,  took  Christ  at  his  word,  and  soon  was  prais- 

49 


50 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


ing  God  for  saving  his  soul.  At  once  he  was  filled 
with  an  overwhelming  desire  to  know  the  Word 
of  God  and  teach  it.  He  said,  "I  want  to  get  an 
education  so  that  I  can  teach  the  true  Word  of 
God."  He  was  given  a  class  of  boys  in  the  Sun- 
day school  and  labored  earnestly  for  the  salvation 
of  each  of  them.  He  learned  to  read  chiefly  from 
the  Bible,  spelling  out  the  words  as  he  went 
along.  He  worked  at  logging  with  an  elder 
brother  and  two  other  wild  fellows  who  tried  in 
every  way  to  get  him  to  swear,  to  drink,  or  in 
some  way  to  "break  over,"  but  the  Lord  kept 
him. 

Later  he  went  to  live  with  an  uncle  in  Illinois, 
but  before  going  he  visited  every  home  in  that 
part  of  Clear  Creek  Valley,  begging  unsaved 
ones  to  accept  Christ.  From  Illinois  he  wrote: 
"My  uncle  and  aunt  is  awful  kind  to  me.  They 
didn't  have  nary  Bible  in  their  house  when  I 
came  here.  Uncle  is  a  sinner,  but  she  belongs 
to  the  Church.  I  am  going  to  try  awful  hard  to 
get  uncle  to  give  his  self  to  the  Lord.  There  has 
been  just  one  meeting  here  since  I  came,  and  I 
get  so  lonesome  when  I  can't  'tend  meeting  and 
Sunday  school."  But  he  went  to  work,  and  soon 
he  wrote,  "Well,  we've  got  a  prayer  meeting 
started  up  here  and  a  Sunday  school,  and  I  am  a 
teacher." 

During  this  period,  he  attended  a  meeting  of 
the  Winona  Assembly,  working  his  way  by  wait- 
ing on  the  table  and  pumping  the  organ.  At  the 
close  of  an  address  by  that  eminent  Bible  ex- 
positor, Rev.  J.  G.  Cunningham,  D.D.,  of  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  this  mountain  boy  came  for- 
ward and  said  to  him,  "I  hope  some  day  to  stand 
on  the  platform  and  teach  the  people  the  Word 
of  God,  just  like  you."    Later,  he  entered  Moody 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


51 


Bible  Institute,  where  he  studied  nearly  two 
years.  Then  he  became  a  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionary. 

This  poor  mountain  boy,  now  an  efficient  Sun- 
day-school missionary,  has  organized  scores  of 
Sunday  schools,  has  brought  thousands  of  moun- 
tain boys  and  girls  under  Bible  instruction,  has 
won  a  multitude  of  souls  to  Christ,  and  has  been 
the  means  of  developing  a  number  of  Presby- 
terian churches. 

Close  with  prayer  for  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  little 
cabins  in  our  southern  mountains  who  are  without  the 
opportunity  of  Christian  instruction   and  training. 


16 

OVERCOMING  DIFFICULTIES 
IN  ORGANIZING  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS 

Leader: — Here  is  a  book  which  contains  some 
of  the  best  missionary  stories  I  have  ever  read. 
It  is  called  "Planting  the  Outposts,"  and  is 
written  by  Robert  F.  Sulzer,  the  veteran 
pioneer  Sunday-school  missionary.  It  is  the 
record  of  his  own  experiences  in  this  form 
of  missionary  work  in  Iowa,  Minnesota,  and 
North  Dakota. 

Some  of  his  stories,  while  they  touch  our  sym- 
pathies because  of  the  conditions  they  depict,  are 
very  amusing  by  reason  of  Mr.  Sulzer's  unique 
manner  of  telling  them.  I  will  read  you  an  in- 
cident; then  the  book  will  be  lent  to  the  first 
member  of  the  school  applying  for  it  after  Sun- 
day school  closes.  Be  sure  to  return  it  next  Sab- 
bath so  that  others  may  have  it. 

He  is  telling  about  a  new  community  which 
he  had  heard  was  without  a  Sunday  school.  He 
says: 

"I  reached  the  town  at  daybreak,  and  as  I  went 
up  the  street  I  saw  people  peeping  out  of  the 
windows  from  behind  the  curtains;  evidently 
they  were  wondering  what  stranger  was  wander- 
ing around.  I  visited  every  house  in  town  and 
invited  them  out  to  a  meeting  that  night,  and 
then  visited  for  three  or  four  miles  out  from  the 
town,  and  all  I  saw  promised  to  be  present. 

"When  I  reached  the  town  again,  just  at  meet- 
ing time  in  the  evening,  the  schoolhouse  was 

52 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD  53 

locked  and  I  had  to  find  the  school-teacher  in 
order  to  get  the  key.  Then  I  found  her  kindling 
wood  and  built  a  fire,  but  when  I  attempted  to 
light  the  lamps  I  found  there  were  none  to  light. 
I  went  to  a  neighbor's  and  borrowed  a  lamp  and 
I  set  it  on  the  desk.  By  this  time  it  was  nearly 
nine  o'clock.  I  looked  up  the  street  and  down 
the  street,  but  saw  no  one  coming. 

"I  waited  a  while,  then  took  the  front  seat.  And 
I  kept  on  sitting  there.  Then  I  had  a  song  serv- 
ice all  to  myself,  and  then  I  sat  there  some  more. 
Then  I  had  a  prayer  meeting.  And  still  I  sat 
there.  By  and  by  one  of  my  German  friends 
opened  the  door  and  I  invited  him  in  to  help  me 
sit  there.  After  a  while  the  door  opened  and 
eight  or  ten  young  people  came — I  suppose  sim- 
ply to  see  me  sit  there.  When  they  sat  down 
near  the  door  I  took  the  lamp  and  put  it  near 
them. 

"I  didn't  have  enough  light  to  read  the  Scrip- 
tures by,  but  I  quoted  some  the  best  I  knew  how 
and  sang  hymns  that  I  knew,  and  by  the  time 
I  had  given  a  gospel  talk  I  had  a  fair  audience, 
as  the  people  gradually  came  in.  I  talked  Sun- 
day school  and  took  a  vote,  then  I  made  a  mo- 
tion and  seconded  it,  put  the  question  and  I  voted 
for  it.  Next  I  called  for  nomination  for  super- 
intendent. No  one  said  a  word,  so  I  nominated 
a  certain  man.  I  seconded  the  motion  and  then 
I  elected  him  myself.  I  filled  the  rest  of  the 
offices  in  the  same  way.  After  I  had  elected  the 
officers  I  asked  the  people  to  suggest  a  time  for 
meeting  the  next  Sunday.  Again  there  was 
silence,  so  I  moved  that  we  meet  at  three 
o'clock.  Then  I  seconded  the  motion,  and  voted 
'Aye.' 

"It   was   about   eleven   o'clock   when   we   got 


54 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


through  with  the  meeting.    No  one  asked  me  to 
go  home  with  him,  so  I  was  left  alone." 

This  is  only  a  part  of  the  story;  you  will  find 
the  remainder  in  Mr.  Sulzer's  book  on  page  70. 
There  are  many  more  stories  just  as  interesting. 


17 


THE  COWBOY  WHO  BECAME  A 
PREACHER 

Scripture  Selection:  Hebrews  4  :  12 

Leader: — In  our  pioneer  Sunday-school  work 
we  see  the  truth  of  these  words  emphasized.  To- 
day we  have  an  interesting  story  from  an  Idaho 
Sunday-school  missionary  which  shows  the 
power  of  God's  Word  in  convicting  men  of  sin 
and  leading  them  to  Christ: 

"Some  time  ago  I  visited  a  new  frontier  set- 
tlement," says  the  missionary,  "where  the  saloons 
seemed  to  be  in  full  control.  The  town  had  been 
'shot  up'  on  several  occasions  by  drunken  cow- 
boys. A  small  building  had  just  been  erected 
for  school  and  church  purposes ;  there  were  two 
or  three  Christian  families  in  the  community  that 
were  hoping  for  the  time  to  come  when  they  could 
have  Sunday  school  and  occasional  preaching 
service.  We  held  a  few  meetings  and  organized 
a  Sunday  school.  Early  one  morning  a  man  who 
conducted  one  of  the  stores,  and  who  was  inter- 
ested in  our  meetings,  went  to  the  depot  to  in- 
quire about  some  goods  he  was  expecting.  As 
he  turned  to  go  back  to  his  place  of  business  he 
saw  two  young  men  dressed  in  cowboy  attire  sit- 
ting on  the  depot  steps.  He  stepped  up  to  them 
and  inquired  if  they  would  be  in  town  overnight. 
The  larger  of  the  two  replied  that  they  came  in 
yesterday  from  the  cattle  ranch,  that  they  had 
spent  all  night  in  the  saloons,  and  that  they  might 
go  back  that  day  and  might  not  for  two  or  three 
days. 

55 


56  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

"  'Well,  boys/  said  he,  'if  you  are  in  town  to- 
night come  up  to  the  little  chapel  yonder.  We 
are  having  gospel  services  there  every  night,  the 
first  we  have  ever  had  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try, and  everybody  is  coming.  Where  will  you 
be  this  evening  at  7:30?' 

"  'If  in  town,  likely  in  the  saloon/  said  the  cow- 
boy. 

"That  evening  before  service  the  missionary 
went  to  the  saloon  and  found  them. 

"  'Now,  boys/  said  he,  T  have  come  after  you, 
and  I  want  you  to  come  with  me  to  the  service/ 

"They  tried  to  excuse  themselves  by  saying 
that  they  had  nothing  but  the  cowboy  clothing 
that  they  had  on,  and  could  not  go  in  that  con- 
dition. 

"  'Never  mind  your  clothes/  said  the  business 
man.  'Throw  off  your  cartridge  belts  and  put 
your  guns  behind  the  bar,  and  come  as  you  are; 
you  will  be  welcome/ 

"I  shall  never  forget  that  evening  when  that 
man  came  into  the  little  chapel  with  the  two  cow- 
boys, taking  a  seat  by  their  side  on  one  of  the 
wooden  benches  in  the  rear  of  the  room. 

"As  I  preached  that  night  I  prayed.  The  older 
cowboy  was  restless  at  first;  but  soon  after  I 
began  my  address  he  turned  his  eyes  upon  me 
and  never  took  them  off  until  I  was  through.  At 
the  close  of  my  address  I  saw  that  he  was  deeply 
interested  and  greatly  agitated,  and  when  I  gave 
the  invitation  to  all  who  would  forsake  their  evil 
way  and  confess  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  their 
Saviour  from  sin,  a  number  arose.  Among  the 
first  to  stand  was  this  cowboy.  He  came  out  from 
his  seat  and  up  the  aisle  to  the  platform  and,  with 
tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  he  put  out  his 
hand  to  me,  saying,  'Parson,  will  you  let  me  say 
a  word?' 

"He  turned  to  the  audience  and  began  to  speak. 


STORIES  FROM  THE  FIELD 


57 


In  a  moment  it  was  evident  that  he  was  an  edu- 
cated young  man ;  his  grammar  was  perfect.  He 
told  of  his  boyhood  home  and  his  past  life;  he 
was  the  only  child  of  well-to-do  parents  in  old 
New  England.  His  parents  had  given  him  a  fine 
education.  He  had  graduated  with  high  honors 
from  one  of  our  greatest  eastern  colleges.  His 
parents  wanted  him  to  enter  the  ministry.  'But/ 
said  he,  'I  was  never  converted ;  my  heart  turned 
away  from  the  ministry,  and  soon  after  my  grad- 
uation I  ran  away  from  home  and  came  out  to 
this  western  country,  and  for  years  I  have  ridden 
the  range,  and  gone  to  the  depths  of  sin.  For 
five  years  I  have  not  written  my  mother,  and  she 
doesn't  know  but  what  her  boy  is  dead.' 

"When  he  mentioned  the  name  'mother/  he 
broke  down  and  cried,  'My  God,  have  I  killed  my 
poor  mother?' 

"I  have  witnessed  many  touching  scenes  in  my 
twenty-eight  years  of  pioneer  mission  life  in  this 
western  country,  but  seldom  have  I  witnessed  a 
more  touching  scene  than  this.  There  wasn't  a 
dry  eye  in  that  audience,  and  the  Holy  Spirit's 
power  was  wonderfully  manifest.  The  cowboy 
fell  on  his  knees  in  front  of  the  platform,  plead- 
ing with  God  for  mercy,  and  asking  forgive- 
ness. 

"The  business  man  said  to  him,  'Come  home 
with  me  to-night ;  I  want  you  to  spend  the  night 
with  me/ 

"  'Thank  you/  said  the  cowboy,  'but  no  sleep 
for  me  until  I  know  if  mother  is  alive.  If  mother 
is  dead,  I  never  can  forgive  myself.  I  have  killed 
her.  God  has  forgiven  me,  but  I  can  never  for- 
give myself  if  mother  is  dead/ 

"He  went  to  the  little  station,  and  this  message 
flashed  over  the  wire  to  the  old  New  England 


58  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

home:  'Your  lost  boy  is  found  and  saved.  An- 
swer quickly.     Charley/ 

"He  walked  the  floor  of  the  little  station  that 
night  for  the  return  message.  About  ten  o'clock 
the  next  morning  it  came,  and  the  first  words  of 
the  message  were  these:  'Thank  God,  our  boy 
still  lives.    Come  home  at  once.    Father,  Mother/ 

"The  next  evening  he  came  to  the  service  nicely 
dressed.  He  brought  with  him  to  the  service  two 
young  men,  former  companions  whom  he  had 
helped  to  drag  down  in  sin. 

'In  the  after  service  that  evening,  he  gave  a 
testimony  of  wonderful  power,  and,  getting  his 
two  companions  on  their  knees  in  prayer,  he 
would  not  let  them  rise  until  he  had  led  them  to 
Christ.  The  third  day  he  took  the  train  for  the 
old  New  England  home. 

"He  remained  at  home  for  some  time,  entering 
with  all  his  heart  and  soul  into  Christian  work, 
and  later,  carrying  out  the  desire  of  his  parents, 
he  began  to  prepare  for  the  ministry.  Already 
he  has  been  the  instrument  under  God  of  leading 
many  souls  to  Christ." 

That  godless  frontier  village  is  to-day  a  pros- 
perous town  of  more  than  two  thousand  popula- 
tion, a  peace-loving  and  God-fearing  people. 
That  little  Sunday  school  has  grown  to  a  strong, 
self-supporting  church,  sending  out  beneficent 
rays  of  blessing  throughout  all  that  region  of 
country.  This  is  the  result  of  a  little  Sunday 
school  in  a  rural  settlement. 

^  Close  with  prayer  for  God's  blessing  upon  our  mis- 
sionary efforts  to  reclaim  those  who  have  strayed  from 
the  ways  of  righteousness. 


18 

ONE  HUNDRED  MILES  FOR  A 
PREACHER 

THE   EXPERIENCE   OF   AN   ARIZONA    MISSIONARY 

I  visited  a  town  of  four  hundred  people  and 
could  find  no  religious  work  of  any  kind  in  the 
town.  I  could  not  find  an  out-and-out  Christian 
man  or  woman  there.  It  was  here  that  a  cowboy 
was  killed  in  a  saloon  brawl.  His  friends  sent  for 
the  nearest  preacher,  one  hundred  miles  away,  but 
he  could  not  come. 

Finally  the  nineteen-year-old  girl  who  was 
there  teaching  was  forced  to  conduct  the  funeral 
in  order  to  give  the  Christian  burial  requested  by 
his  parents  in  the  East.  This  she  did  in  the 
dance  hall,  in  the  presence  of  a  crowd  of  saloon 
keepers,  gamblers,  cowboys  and  scarlet  women. 

In  another  town  the  only  Christian  woman  to 
be  found  told  me  she  had  conducted  fourteen 
funerals  in  twelve  months,  and  that  only  two  of 
those  deceased  had  died  a  natural  death.  She 
said,  "We  have  no  use  for  God  out  here  till  we 
get  sick  or  some  one  dies,  and  then  we  think  of 
the  God  our  mothers  knew  back  East." 


59 


Ill 

FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS 


THE  SOUTHERN  NEGRO 
Prayer. 
Scripture  Selection: — The  Parable  of  the  Sower. 

Luke  8:4-15. 
Hymn : — "Sowing  in  the  Morning/'  et  cetera. 

Leader: — We  are  to  consider  to-day,  the  needs 
of  a  people  who  form  ten  per  cent  of  the  total 
population  of  the  United  States.  Ten  millions 
of  negroes !  And  what  are  we  doing  for  them  ? 
In  various  ways  we  are  assisting  them  upward, 
providing  them  with  churches  and  ministers,  be- 
sides educating  the  boys  and  girls  and  teaching 
them  useful  trades.  But  before  they  can  have 
churches,  faithful  work  must  be  done  in  prepar- 
ing the  ground  and  sowing  the  seed  of  the  gospel, 
nourishing  it  until  it  comes  to  fruition  in  souls 
won  to  Christ  and  gathered  into  his  Church  and 
in  boys  and  girls  filled  with  the  desire  to  go  forth 
and  help  in  uplifting  others  of  their  own  race. 

After  a  brief  prayer  by  Mr. ,  we  are  to 

hear  from  several  persons  who  will  tell  us  how 
this  work  of  seed-sowing  is  being  done. 

First  Speaker — Progress  Since  Emancipation: 

During  the  years  of  his  freedom,  the  negro 
has  made  remarkable  progress.  In  1863  there 
were  in  all  the  United  States  only  a  few  farms 
controlled  by  negroes.  They  now  operate  in  the 
South  890,140  farms.  Of  this  number  twenty- 
five  per  cent  are  owned  by  negroes,  the  remain- 
ing seventy-five  per  cent  being  operated  under 
the  tenant  system. 

63 


64  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

When,  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  the  ne- 
groes started  on  their  career  as  farmers,  they  had 
no  land  and  no  experience  as  farm  owners  or 
tenants;  none  of  them  became  farm  owners  by 
inheritance,  nor  did  any  of  them  inherit  money 
with  which  to  purchase  land.  The  fact  that  the 
relative  number  of  owners  among  the  negro 
farmers  in  the  South  is  now  more  than  one  half 
as  great  as  the  relative  number  of  owners  among 
white  farmers,  makes  a  very  commendable  show- 
ing. The  negroes  of  this  country  now  own  20,- 
000,000  acres  of  land  or  31,000  square  miles.  If 
all  the  land  they  own  were  in  one  place,  its  area 
would  be  greater  than  that  of  the  State  of  South 
Carolina.  In  1863  the  total  wealth  of  the  ne- 
groes of  this  country  was  about  $20,000,000.  Now 
their  total  wealth  is  over  $700,000,000. 

Second  Speaker — Negro  Education: 

One  half  of  the  negroes  get  no  schooling  what- 
ever. Careful  analysis  of  the  reports  of  state 
superintendents  showing  the  attendance  by 
grades,  indicates  that  the  average  child,  whites 
and  blacks  being  reckoned  together,  who  attends 
school  at  all  stops  with  the  third  grade.  In 
North  Carolina  the  average  citizen  gets  only  2.6 
years;  in  South  Carolina,  2.5  years;  in  Alabama, 
2.4  years  of  schooling,  both  private  and  public. 
In  the  whole  South  the  average  citizen  gets  only 
three  years  of  schooling  of  all  kinds  in  his  en- 
tire life ;  and  what  schooling  it  is !  This  is  the 
way  we  are  educating  these  citizens  of  the  Re- 
public, the  voters  who  will  have  to  determine  the 
destinies  not  only  of  this  people,  but  of  millions 
of  others  beyond  the  seas.  But  why  is  it  that  the 
children  get  so  little  education?  Have  we  no 
schools  in  the  country  districts?    Yes,  but  what 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  65 

kind  of  schools?  In  these  states,  in  schoolhouses 
costing  an  average  of  $275  each,  under  teachers 
receiving  an  average  salary  of  $25  a  month,  we 
have  been  giving  the  children  in  actual  attend- 
ance five  cents'  worth  of  education  a  day  for  but 
eighty-seven  days  in  the  year. 

Third  Speaker — Religious  Conditions: 

Among  the  negroes  the  word  "destitute"  often 
means  a  community  with  plenty  of  churches  of 
different  creeds,  but  without  Sunday  schools, 
church  members  with  no  conception  of  the  real 
Christlike  religion.  While  these  churches  in 
such  communities  are  numerous,  the  pastors,  as 
you  can  imagine,  are  inferior  men.  Anyone  who 
sees  that  he  can  have  a  comparatively  easy  life 
by  being  called  to  preach,  "hears  the  call," 
takes  charge  of  the  church  and  becomes  the 
leader  of  the  community,  which  will  rise  no 
higher  than  he.  Often  they  are  bad  men  at 
heart,  very  ungodly  in  conduct  and  totally 
ignorant. 

It  is  alarming  to  find  so  many  homes  without 
a  Bible.  No  effort  whatever  is  made  to  learn 
what  God  would  have  them  do.  In  one  home  the 
missionary  inquired  of  the  wife  whether  she  had 
a  Bible.  She  answered,  "No."  Glancing  around, 
the  missionary  spied  a  Bible  on  the  shelf,  well 
covered  with  other  books  and  papers,  as  well  as 
dust.  He  asked  about  it  and  was  promptly  in- 
formed that  it  was  a  "Baptist  Bible"  and  that  it 
belonged  to  her  husband ;  but  she  was  a  Metho- 
dist and  did  not  have  a  "Methodist  Bible." 
The  missionary  was  successful,  after  much 
discussion,  in  convincing  her  that  the  Bibles 
he  carried  were  the  same  as  the  Bible  on  the 
shelf. 


66  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Fourth  Speaker — One  Remedy: 

Many  solutions  have  been  offered  for  the  so- 
called  "negro  problem. "  Educational,  intellectual 
and  industrial  plans  are  good  and  important,  but, 
above  all  things,  the  negro  must  be  taught  the 
principles  of  true  religion.  This  can  most  ef- 
fectively be  done  by  the  planting  of  mission  Sun- 
day schools  in  which  regular  instruction  in  re- 
ligious truth  may  be  given  them.  This  work  is 
being  efficiently  performed  by  our  negro  Sun- 
day-school missionaries. 

If  a  Sunday  school  is  not  practicable,  the  mis- 
sionary organizes  a  Home  Department,  where 
the  Bible  is  regularly  studied  in  the  home.  Each 
home  is  visited  by  the  missionary,  the  home  life 
and  habits  are  studied,  their  mistakes  are  pointed 
out  to  them  by  the  fireside,  and  suggestions  as 
to  a  better  way  of  rearing  children,  keeping  the 
Sabbath  and  caring  for  a  home  are  given;  and 
in  many  cases  immediate  improvement  has  been 
seen.  While  the  missionary  is  making  his  daily 
visits  to  the  homes,  he  is  not  content  to  leave 
a  tract  or  a  Bible,  but  he  is  on  the  alert  for 
promising  young  people,  signs  of  whom  are  often 
hidden  away  under  insufficient  clothes  or  a  cloud 
of  ignorance.  Many  such  young  people  are  sent 
to  school,  and  marvelous  results  have  followed. 
The  finding  of  one  girl  and  putting  her  in  school 
brought  to  a  community  a  day  school  which  for 
years  it  had  been  without,  a  Presbyterian  church, 
the  bringing  of  the  whole  family  of  twelve  to 
Christ  and  a  revolutionized  community. 

Fifth  Speaker — How  the  Work  Is  Done: 

The    negro    Sunday-school    missionaries    have 
^e  experiences.     One  of  these  work- 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  67 

ers  says:  "I  have  just  organized  a  school  in  one 
of  our  famous  turpentine  districts.  Out  of  more 
than  thirty  present,  only  two  girls  and  one  mar- 
ried woman  could  read.  In  the  entire  settlement 
of  more  than  twenty-five  families,  only  two  men 
could  read.  Our  organization  was  a  success.  We 
met  in  an  empty  shanty  with  one  seat,  which  was 
made  by  taking  a  board  out  of  the  floor.  This 
was  soon  filled,  and  many,  old  and  young,  had 
to  be  seated  on  the  floor.  The  anxious  faces  of 
the  children,  beside  the  dissipated  faces  and  blank 
expressions  of  the  parents  presented  a  most  pa- 
thetic contrast.  This  is  a  bad  community;  on 
Sabbath  they  drink  and  gamble  and  fight  all  day. 
The  people  do  not  take  to  strangers  at  once, 
especially  if  they  think  they  come  to  help  them. 
This  sounds  strange,  but  it  is  true.  I  made  three 
visits  before  I  could  get  any  attention  whatever. 
On  my  fourth  visit  the  people  flocked  around  me 
for  tracts,  cards  and  papers,  as  if  I  were  dis- 
tributing bread  and  meat  for  their  bodies." 

Sixth  Speaker — More  Experiences: 

Another  missionary  relates  this  incident:  "I 
went  fifteen  miles  through  the  country  to  Chats- 
worth,  Georgia,  and  other  sections  of  Murray 
County.  My  purpose  was  to  look  the  field  over 
and  organize  a  Sunday  school,  if  the  way  was 
clear.  This  section  of  Georgia  is  considered  un- 
safe for  colored  strangers,  but  we  went  in  God's 
name  and  came  out  unharmed.  I  found  the  peo- 
ple in  very  poor  circumstances  and  in  great  need 
of  both  Sunday  school  and  church.  The  boys 
and  girls  are  growing  up  in  sin,  ignorance  and 
superstition,  and  in  great  need  of  God's  Word. 
Gathering  the  children  together,  I  asked  about 
Bible    characters.      After    explaining    the    word 


68  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

'meek,'  I  asked,  'Who  was  the  meekest  man?' 
One  answer  was  'colored  folks.'  Several  an- 
swers of  this  kind  were  given.  When  I  told  them 
'Moses/  they  were  eager  to  know  where  he  lived. 
Some  then  thought  that  I  referred  to  'Uncle 
Moses/  an  old  man  in  their  community." 

Seventh  Speaker — What  Twenty-Five  Dollars  Will 

Do: 

"  'Little  Edisto'  Island,  in  South  Carolina,  has 
a  population  of  five  hundred  colored  families. 
These  people  lived  here  for  years,  without  any 
Sunday  school  whatever,  no  services,  no  Bible 
training,  no  effort  at  a  better  life.  Five  hundred 
families  without  God !  Our  missionary  went  to 
their  rescue.  He  interested  the  white  owner, 
who  consented  to  give  the  land  for  a  building  for 
a  mission  Sunday  school,  and  to-day  a  handsome 
little  edifice  stands  open  to  these  five  hundred 
families  with  their  little  ones,  where  all  day 
Sunday  they  come  and  go  to  worship  our  Master. 
Somebody's  twenty-five  dollars,  given  to  organ- 
ize this  Snndav  school,  changed  the  whole  life 
of  that  little  island." 

Hymn: — "Hark    the    Voice    of    Jesus    Crying." 
(Tune,  Disciple.) 


THE  SOUTHERN  MOUNTAINEERS 

In  connection  with  this  program  it  would  be  helpful 
to  have  a  map  sketched  on  the  blackboard  or  on  heavy- 
paper,  showing  the  states  east  of  the  Mississippi  and 
south  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line.  Begin  with  a  brief 
description  of  the  topography  of  the  district  on  the 
eastern  and  western  slopes  of  the  Appalachian  system, 
where  the  people  whom  we  call  the  "southern  moun- 
taineers" are  found. 

Leader: — As  we  are  to  consider  to-day  a  great 
mission  field  in  our  own  America,  and  as  the  peo- 
ple we  are  to  talk  about  are  among  the  most 
loyal  and  patriotic  Americans,  it  seems  appro- 
priate that  our  opening  hymn  should  be  the  one 
we  all  like  to  sing  when  we  think  about  our  love 
for  our  country  and  flag.  What  is  this  hymn? 
Yes,  "America."     Let  us  sing  it  from  memory. 

Hymn: — "My   Country,   'tis   of  Thee."      (Tune, 

America.) 

Map  Exercise: — The  mountaineers  present  one 
of  the  most  interesting  mission  studies  in  the 
homeland.  They  live  on  the  hillsides  and  in  the 
quiet  valleys  of  the  southern  Appalachians,  ex- 
tending through  nine  states  from  the  southern 
border  of  Pennsylvania  to  the  northern  counties 
of  Georgia  and  Alabama,  covering  a  region  about 
six  hundred  miles  long  and  two  hundred  miles 
wide.  In  the  more  than  two  hundred  counties  in- 
cluded in  this  area  about  four  millions  of  people 
are  dwelling,  a  population  seemingly  large,  but 
comparatively  small,  when  the  large  territory  is 
considered. 

69 


70  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

The  tide  of  westward  emigration  flowed  over 
the  southern  Appalachians,  but  ebbed  away  from 
them  as  the  advancing  flood  flowed  westward. 
Domestic  emigration  and  foreign  immigration 
alike  pushed  on  toward  the  magic  West.  The 
Civil  War  served  also  to  divert  attention  from 
the  mountain  ranges  of  the  South.  And  so  the 
nation  went  on  about  its  toil  and  expansion,  prac- 
tically oblivious  of  one  of  its  most  valuable  pos- 
sessions. 

The  mountaineer's  horizon  is  limited  by  the 
summits  that  rise  on  every  side,  shutting  him  in 
from  the  rest  of  the  nation  and  forcing  him  to 
find  his  world  in  his   own  small   neighborhood. 


&4 


Scripture  Lesson: — Isaiah,  chapter  35. 

Leader: — The  missionaries  who  come  into  the 
closest  contact  with  these  people  and  who  know 
more  about  their  home  life,  customs  and  religious 
tendencies,  are  our  Sunday-school  missionaries. 
They  are  constantly  visiting  them  in  their  little 
cabin  homes  up  and  down  the  creeks  and  along 
the  narrow  valleys,  organizing  Sunday  schools 
and  bringing  the  opportunity  of  Bible  study  and 
instruction  within  their  reach.  Let  us  see  how 
these  men  are  doing  this  work. 

Without  formal  announcement,  those  who  have  been 
selected  for  the  task  recite  or  read  the  following  para- 
graphs: 

A  Journey  With  a  Sunday-School  Missionary 

Let  us  take  a  journey  out  through  the  country 
and  visit  some  of  these  places,  many  miles  away 
from  the  railroad,  where  the  highways  are  al- 
most   impassable,    the    streams    unbridged,    the 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  71 

school  and  church-houses  in  bad  repair.  The 
farms  indicate  that  their  owners  have  never  heard 
of  scientific  farming-.  They  still  use  the  old- 
time  implements  and  transact  their  business  just 
as  their  forefathers  did  many  years  ago.  Some- 
times we  travel  for  miles  without  seeing  a 
painted  dwelling.  The  old-time  spinning  wheel 
and  loom  are  still  considered  necessities  in  many 
places  and  sometimes  occupy  the  larger  part  of 
the  one-room  dwelling  where  the  family  resides, 
cooks,  eats,  sleeps  and  entertains  company. 
Night  overtakes  us,  tired  and  hungry.  We  call 
at  the  fence  of  a  cabin  home,  but  we  do  not  go  in 
because  the  watchdog  makes  it  unsafe  for  us  to 
approach  nearer  without  protection.  Our  call 
is  answered,  and  we  are  cordially  invited  to  enter 
in.  The  "Old  man"  and  the  "boys"  have  just 
returned  from  their  day's  labor,  the  "gals"  are 
preparing  supper,  and  the  "old  woman"  sits  in 
the  corner  smoking  a  cob  pipe.  We  try  to  ap- 
pear as  homelike  and  comfortable  as  possible, 
for  it  would  not  do  to  appear  otherwise.  Soon 
we  are  acquainted  with  the  family  and  all  seem 
delighted  that  we  have  stopped  to  spend  the  night 
with  them.  The  supper  is  soon  prepared  and 
served.  It  consists  of  corn  bread,  hog  meat,  cof- 
fee, milk,  butter,  beans,  potatoes  and  such  like. 
They  take  us  into  their  confidence  and  give  us 
the  story  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  commun- 
ity. The  news  they  impart  runs  something  like 
this: 

"Had  preaching  over  at  the  schoolhouse  last 
Sunday,  and  a  man  'got  drunk  and  painted  the 
thing  red.'  A  wildcat  still  was  'cut  up'  in  the 
community  the  other  night,  and  one  of  the  neigh- 
bors arrested  for  making  and  selling  whisky." 

So  goes  the  conversation  until   late  bedtime. 


J2  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Finally  the  beds  are  prepared,  the  lights  are  ex- 
tinguished and  the  whole  family  is  in  dreamland 
until  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  we 
all  arise,  eat  the  hastily  prepared  breakfast,  and 
after  being  cordially  invited  to  stop  again  at  an}^ 
time,  we  are  soon  on  our  journey,  while  the 
night's  lodging  has  cost  us  nothing  but  good 
wishes  and  a  promise  to  "come  again." 

Leader: — Having  heard  something  about  how 
these  people  live,  let  us  look  for  a  moment  at 
their  educational  opportunities : 

Their  Education: 

The  opportunities  for  getting  an  education  are 
small,  but — with  few  if  any  books,  and  no  papers 
— the  demand  for  an  education  is  smaller,  for  the 
mountaineer  can  hoe  corn,  trade  horses  and  even 
preach  without  'iarnin'."  One  such  thus  an- 
nounced his  services,  "Come  to  meetin'  to-night ; 
you'll  hear  the  pure  gospel,  for  the  man  who's 
goin'  to  preach  hain't  got  a  smidgen  of  Iarnin'." 

The  whole  country  is  divided  into  districts, 
and  one-room  schoolhouses  are  located  at  com- 
munity centers  where  "free  schools"  of  short 
duration  are  taught  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  The 
barefooted  boys  and  girls  from  miles  around  as- 
semble at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  spend 
the  day  more  in  play  than  study.  The  old  log 
school  house  of  twenty  years  ago,  with  a  large 
fireplace  in  one  end,  a  chink  knocked  out  for  a 
window,  and  backless  split-log  benches  for  desks 
is  now  almost  a  thing  of  the  past;  it  is  being 
rapidly  replaced  by  better  things. 

The  one  supreme  incentive  needed  by  these 
people  is  found  in  the  Sunday  school,  which 
brings  to  the  people  the  Bible  and  helps  in  its 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS 


73 


study,  giving  both  the  ideal  life  and  the  impulse 
toward  it.  Everybody,  old  and  young,  attends 
the  Sunday  school.  It  restores  the  sanctity  of  the 
Sabbath,  it  stirs  the  people  to  search  the  Scrip- 
tures for  themselves,  to  discover  its  truths  and  to 
apply  these  truths  to  their  lives.  Now  that  there 
is  something  in  their  hands  to  be  read,  many  of 
the  older  people  learn  to  read.  As  a  result,  the 
day  schools  have  a  larger  and  more  regular  at- 
tendance. For  these  better  teachers  are  de- 
manded ;  the  desire  is  for  those  who  can  help 
in  the  Sunday  school. 

Now,  in  many  places  the  "moonlight  schools" 
are  becoming  popular  and  through  this  means 
many  who  previously  have  had  no  opportunity 
to  obtain  an  education  are  learning  at  least  to 
read  and  write. 

Leader: — Now  we  must  not  think  of  the  moun- 
taineers as  people  who  are  without  any  knowl- 
edge of  God  or  the  Bible.  On  the  contrary,  they 
have  a  deep  respect  and  reverence  for  the  Bible 
and  the  religion  that  comes  to  them  with  the 
declaration  that  it  is  "founded  upon  the  Word" 
is  readily  embraced. 

The  Religion  of  the  Mountaineer 

These  people  are  simple  in  their  religion.  They 
are  averse  to  any  formality,  and  have  little  use 
for  anything  beyond  a  preaching  service.  The 
predominating  churches  are  the  Methodist,  Bap- 
tist, Presbyterian  and  Christian  or  Campbellite. 

The  country  church  is  usually  a  one-room 
frame  or  log  building  centrally  located,  sur- 
rounded by  a  beautiful  grove  and  accessible  to 
water.  This  house  often  serves  the  double  pur- 
pose of  a  schoolhouse  during  the  week  and  a 


74 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


church  on  the  Sabbath.  Sometimes  two,  three 
or  four  denominations  organize  churches  in  this 
same  house,  each  claiming  a  Sabbath ;  and  it  is 
sad  to  note  the  rivalry  and  strife  that  is  thus 
generated  among  these  deluded  people  of  the 
Lord. 

Some  of  these  churches  pay  their  pastors  no 
salary,  others  pay  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar  a  month, 
while  the  average  church — not  including  those  in 
the  towns — will  pay  the  pastor  about  thirty  dol- 
lars a  year.  Possibly  fifty  per  cent  of  these 
churches  have  no  Sunday  school,  prayer  meet- 
ing or  religious  society. 

Some  parts  of  this  mountain  territory  are  ab- 
solutely destitute  of  the  means  of  grace.  Many 
villages  and  communities  are  without  a  church 
of  any  denomination ;  there  is  no  Sunday  school, 
prayer  meeting  or  other  religious  influences  of 
any  kind. 

These  mountaineers  are  very  susceptible  to 
gospel  influences,  and  are  very  emotional  in  their 
worship.  A  sermon,  to  be  enjoyed  by  them, 
must  appeal  to  the  emotional  nature.  The 
preacher  who  does  not  cry  as  he  talks,  occasion- 
ally at  least,  and  the  church  member  who  does 
not  shout  during  the  "revival  meeting,"  have  lit- 
tle or  no  religion,  in  their  estimation. 

The  "revival  season"  is  the  fall  of  the  year, 
and  the  parents  look  forward  to  this  time  in  the 
hope  that  their  children  will  "git  religion  and 
jine  the  Church."  The  announcement  is  made 
weeks  before,  and  when  the  time  arrives  for  the 
"protracted  meeting"  to  begin,  the  people  as- 
semble in  great  throngs.  For  many  days  they 
have  been  preparing  for  the  occasion.  Cooking, 
dressmaking,  hat-buying,  and  "fixing"  have  been 
the   order   for   a   week   or   more.      Manv   of   the 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  75 

smaller  boys  and  girls,  it  is  true,  come  barefooted, 
but  those  old  enough  to  have  a  sweetheart  are 
at  their  best.  The  people  go  into  the  church 
shaking  hands  and  passing  compliments  until  the 
preacher  is  in  his  place  and  a  song  is  announced. 
They  have  no  organ,  as  a  rule,  and  some  of  them 
would  consider  it  sinful  to  play  an  organ  in 
church.  The  congregation  proceeds  to  sing;  fre- 
quently they  "sing  the  notes"  first,  and  then  the 
words.  After  the  "song  service,"  the  Scriptures 
are  read,  prayer  is  offered  and  the  sermon  is  de- 
livered. You  might  not  call  it  a  sermon,  though 
it  lasts  long  enough  for  two  or  three  sermons, 
about  one  hour  being  the  rule  with  most  of  the 
preachers.  Yet,  at  the  conclusion  of  that  exhor- 
tation, the  preacher  makes  a  proposition,  and  the 
people  have  a  hearty  handshake,  followed  by  a 
"great  revival."  That  is,  a  great  number  of  the 
people  "get  happy,"  and  make  the  hills  echo 
with  loud  shouts  of  joy.  But  this  is  not  all,  for 
amid  the  confused  voices  of  the  rejoicing  multi- 
tude an  old-time  song  has  been  started  by  some 
one  who  felt  the  impulse,  and  the  preacher  in- 
vites the  unsaved  forward  to  the  "mourners' 
bench."  The  shouting  Christians  go  into  the 
audience  and  exhort  their  friends  to  come.  They 
come  weeping  and  trembling;  and,  falling  at  the 
altar,  they  cry  for  mercy.  Songs  are  sung,  pray- 
ers are  offered  and  exhortations  are  delivered 
promiscuously  all  over  the  house,  and  before  the 
service  closes  the  penitent  friends  are  rejoicing 
with  the  others. 

Leader: — What  can  we  do  to  improve  the  con- 
dition of  these  people  of  the  purest  American 
stock  who  are  so  greatly  in  need  of  the  gospel? 
How  can  we  give  to  the  one  million  boys  and  girls 


y6  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

in  the  back  mountain  counties,  an  opportunity  to 
develop  Christian  character? 

We  can  give  them  the  Sunday  school. 

In  eighteen  mountain  counties  covering  6,692 
square  miles,  with  a  population  of  250,000,  there 
is  but  one  Sunday  school  to  each  1,200  persons. 
The  total  Sunday-school  enrollment  is  14,000, 
less  than  six  per  cent  of  the  population.  Let  us 
hear  one  or  two  reports  from  the  workers  in  this 
region. 

What  the  Sunday  School  Has  Accomplished 

One  Sunday-school  missionary  tells  us :  "The 
bare  walls  of  the  houses  are  decorated  with  Sun- 
day-school picture  cards ;  the  people  begin  to 
dress  better.  One  superintendent  of  a  new  school 
came  five  or  six  weeks  in  his  shirtsleeves,  over- 
alls and  bare  feet;  the  secretary,  a  woman  of 
about  forty,  came  in  her  bare  feet,  but  soon  the 
superintendent  had  on  new  shirt,  new  trousers 
and  shoes,  and  the  secretary  had  a  new  hat  and 
a  pair  of  new  shoes."  The  Sunday  school  incites 
to  better  things  in  every  direction.  One  old  man 
said,  "I'm  mighty  glad  you  come,  you  done  a 
heap  for  my  old  woman  (she  was  converted), 
and  you've  raised  the  price  of  land." 

Among  the  mountaineers,  as  elsewhere,  the 
Sunday-school  missionary  has  a  distinct  task 
which  he  can  carry  forward  to  the  point  where 
churches  are  organized  and  buildings  are  erected 
for  them,  and  the  way  fully  prepared  for  the 
home  missionary.  Through  the  labors  of  these 
workers  twelve  hundred  mission  Sunday  schools 
have  been  organized  in  this  vast  region.  Out  of 
these  schools  seventy-two  Presbyterian  churches 
have  developed. 

Another      Sunday-school      missionary      says: 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  yy 

"When  I  think  of  the  two  hundred  and  eighty 
workers  and  seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  pupils 
in  these  neglected  localities  on  my  field,  when  I 
think  of  them  located  in  little  schoolhouses  al- 
most without  equipment,  when  I  look  into  the 
bright,  eager  faces  of  those  who  are  hungering 
and  thirsting  for  the  glad  tidings,  I  say  there  is 
no  work  that  pays  such  rich  dividends  as  the 
work  of  the  Sunday-school  missionary — divi- 
dends in  workers,  men  and  women  trained  up 
for  God  and  Christian  citizenship." 

Leader: — As  our  hearts  are  full  of  sympathy 
for  the  neglected  boys  and  girls  of  the  southern 
mountains,  let  us  join  in  a  brief  season  of  prayer 
for  them,  and  for  the  consecration  of  men  and 
means  to  the  task  of  bringing  them  into  the 
light  of  God's  truth. 

Hymn: — "Our  Country's  Voice  is  Pleading." 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  PLAINS 

Scripture  Lesson: — Luke  10:1-12. 
Prayer. 

Leader: — Just  as  Christ  sent  out  the  seventy, 
as  we  read  in  our  Scripture  lesson,  so  the  Church 
sends  forth  its  missionaries,  in  obedience  to  the 
command  of  the  Master  "beginning  at  Jerusalem, 
.  .  .  even  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth." 

To-day  we  are  to  hear  about  the  work  of  the 
Sunday-school  missionaries  in  the  great  stretches 
of  territory  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  and  from  Canada  to  Mexico.  The  char- 
acter of  the  service  of  the  Sunday-school  mission- 
aries bears  a  similarity  to  the  commission  which 
Christ  gave  to  these  seventy  whom  he  sent  forth. 

We  are  to  hear  from  different  parts  of  the  field, 
showing  the  need  for  this  work  and  how  we  are 
meeting  the  need.  Before  we  hear  from  the  first 
speaker  let  us  sing  "I  Love  to  Tell  the  Story." 
(The  Sunday-School  Hymnal,  "Alleluia,"  page 
231-) 

First  Speaker — The  Northwest: 

I  represent  the  great  State  of  Oregon  where 
thousands  of  new  settlers  are  taking  up  homes 
and  by  their  toil  are  converting  the  barren  wastes 
into  fields  of  waving  grain.  But  they  do  not  take 
the  Church  and  Sunday  school  with  them  when 
they  move  into  these  new  regions.  In  the  trials 
and  hardships  of  frontier  life  these  things  are  for- 
gotten, and,  unless  we  send  our  Sunday-school 

78 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  79 

missionaries  to  them,  the  boys  and  girls  will  be 
allowed  to  grow  up  without  any  religious  in- 
struction or  training. 

East  of  the  Cascades  lies  the  great  wheat- 
growing  section  and  large  stock  ranges.  Scat- 
tered far  and  wide  over  these  broad  tablelands 
and  tucked  far  back  among  the  mountains,  are 
the  homes  of  the  people.  Dotting  the  plains  and 
hillsides  are  the  schoolhouses  where  the  state 
is  giving  its  children  a  chance  for  a  secular  edu- 
cation, but  has  shut  out  from  its  curriculum  the 
greatest  Book  of  all,  and  forbidden  the  teaching 
of  the  things  most  fundamental  in  the  develop- 
ment of  character.  With  but  a  few  exceptions, 
these  schoolhouses  are  open  for  religious  serv- 
ices, and  the  Sunday-school  missionary  is  wel- 
come as  he  comes  in  the  name  of  the  Church 
with  the  message  of  life.  He  is  the  only  man 
who  comes  into  many  of  these  districts  far  away 
from  the  towns  to  give  the  people,  either  old  or 
young,  a  chance  to  hear  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Again  and  again  our  missionaries  have 
preached  to  young  people  of  fifteen  or  more 
years  of  age  who  never  before  had  heard  a  ser- 
mon, and  it  is  not  an  infrequent  thing  to  hear 
some  one  say,  "That  is  the  first  sermon  I  have 
heard  for  ten  (or  fifteen  or  twenty)  years." 

Second '  Speaker — Washington : 

The  conditions  in  Washington  are  similar  in 
many  respects  to  those  that  have  just  been  de- 
scribed. This  state  increased  its  population  one 
hundred  and  sixty-six  per  cent  in  ten  years.  One 
of  the  missionaries  gives  us  a  view  of  the  situa- 
tion in  a  recent  letter.     He  writes : 

"My  work  calls  me  into  the  remote  and  out- 
lying districts  sometimes  ten,  fifty,  one  hundred 


80  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

miles  away  from  the  railways  and  beaten  paths. 
It  calls  me  into  communities  where  the  preacher 
and  his  message  have  not  been  heard  for  years, 
where  children  stand  in  wonder  at  the  preacher 
'talking  to  his  plate'  (saying  grace)  before  meals ; 
where  boys  and  girls  in  their  teens  have  come 
to  attend  the  Sunday  school  for  the  first  time  in 
their  lives ;  where  young  men  and  women  have 
lived  in  the  canons  all  their  lives  without  am- 
bition enough  to  discover  what  lies  beyond  their 
circumscribed  horizon ;  where  boys  and  girls  are 
living  absolutely  destitute  of  all  religious  and 
moral  training,  and  succumbing  to  immorality, 
vice  and  shame." 

Third  Speaker — California  and  Nevada: 

This  region  is  increasing  in  population  so 
rapidly  that  our  Sunday-school  missionaries  are 
unable  to  keep  track  of  the  new  communities  that 
are  springing  up  everywhere.  One  California 
missionary  tells  us  that  he  has  been  traveling  at 
the  rate  of  fifteen  hundred  miles  a  month  and  has 
not  yet  covered  his  entire  field,  which  comprises 
but  one  presbytery.  "So  you  see,"  he  writes, 
''that  the  first  Sunday  schools  that  I  organized 
will  have  children  in  the  primary  grade,  who 
were  born  since  I  organized  the  Sunday  school, 
before  I  can  get  around  to  visit  the  school  again. 
Talk  about  'circuit  riding'  in  the  pioneer  days  of 
the  Middle  West !  Why,  the  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionary in  southern  California  has  them  all 
beaten.  I  take  the  railroad  as  far  as  it  goes, 
then  the  stage  as  far  as  it  reaches,  then  the  pack 
train  as  far  as  it  goes,  and  finally  I  take  to  my 
heels  for  the  rest  of  the  journey.  And  there  is 
much  heel  work  both  on  the  plains  and  in  the 
mountains." 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  8l 

Fourth  Speaker — The  Rocky  Mountain  District: 

In  one  district  in  Colorado  a  recent  investiga- 
tion revealed  the  startling  fact  that  there  are  one 
hundred  and  thirty-three  places  ranging  in  popu- 
lation from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  one  thou- 
sand souls,  without  Protestant  churches  of  any 
kind,  one  hundred  of  these  being  also  without 
a  Roman  Catholic  church.  Some  of  these  were 
rural  communities,  some  were  mining  communi- 
ties scattered  up  and  down  a  narrow  valley,  be- 
ing difficult  to  care  for  because  thus  scattered. 
In  addition  to  these,  there  were  four  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  communities  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  have  post  offices,  but  without  any 
churches.  Whole  communities  wrere  found  with 
no  adequate  religious  work.  An  Idaho  mission- 
ary tells  us  about  a  prospecting  trip  which  he  re- 
cently made  through  two  counties  covering  an 
area  of  ninety-one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
square  miles,  with  an  estimated  population  of 
more  than  eleven  thousand.  In  all  this  vast  ter- 
ritory there  are  but  ten  Protestant  churches  with 
a  membership  of  less  than  five  hundred.  The 
railroad  facilities  in  these  two  counties  cover  a 
little  more  than  one  hundred  miles.  On  that  trip 
he  traveled  by  stage,  livery  wagon,  horseback 
and  on  foot  about  four  hundred  miles.  He  held 
several  preaching  services  and  organized  four 
Sunday  schools;  two  of  these  were  organized 
where  a  gospel  service  was  never  before  held. 

Fifth  Speaker — The  Southwest: 

County  after  county  may  be  found  without  a 
single  minister  of  the  gospel.  One  correspondent 
writes  of  a  section  of  Arkansas  comprising  six- 
teen counties  with  but  five  ministers.    Seventeen 


82  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

counties  in  eastern  Texas  have  but  ten  active 
ministers.  Amarillo  Presbytery  comprises  forty- 
six  counties  in  the  state  of  Texas  and  covers 
forty  thousand  square  miles.  Think  of  a  single 
Sunday-school  missionary  working  that  vast 
region ! 

In  some  of  the  older  parts  of  Texas  conditions 
are  very  primitive,  and  little  or  no  attention  has 
been  given  to  the  development  of  the  religious 
life  of  the  children.  In  one  community  where 
services  were  conducted,  a  native  preacher  had 
just  closed  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  school- 
house.  The  good  man  actually  could  not  read 
the  Scriptures  in  public,  so  ignorant  was  he.  Yet, 
to  use  his  words,  "they  had  been  swimming  in 
glory  for  a  week."  The  only  light  they  had  in 
the  schoolhouse  was  one  gasoline  torch.  There 
were  always  twice  as  many  people  present  as  the 
house  would  hold.  Their  religion  runs  to  ex- 
treme emotionalism,  still  they  listen  with  great 
eagerness  to  a  man  who,  as  they  say,  "can  learn 
them  something." 

Sixth  Speaker—  The  Middle  West: 

A  Minnesota  missionary  gives  us  a  picture  of 
the  needs  of  that  state.  He  tells  us  that  in  one 
presbytery  comprising  ten  counties  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  state  unreached  by  railroads,  there 
are  forty  thousand  boys  and  girls  under  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  only  seven  thousand  of 
them  enrolled  in  Sunday  schools.  North  and 
South  Dakota  are  calling  for  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionaries to  reach  the  thousands  of  children  and 
young  people  who  are  living  in  the  rural  districts 
without  any  Christian  influences.  Parts  of  Iowa, 
Missouri,  Kansas  and  Nebraska  are  still  un- 
reached by  the  Church's  messengers.    A  Kansas 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  83 

missionary  tells  this  interesting  story  about  a 
visit  to  a  town  of  five  hundred  people  in  which 
there  was  no  Sunday  school  or  church.  "At  least 
one  hundred  and  fifty  young  people  came  to  the 
first  service.  Meetings  were  continued  several 
evenings.  In  the  meantime,  the  few  Christians 
were  constrained  to  take  hold,  literature  was 
provided,  and  they  are  developing  a  flourishing 
work.  Visiting  this  field  on  a  recent  Sabbath 
morning,  bright-eyed,  cheery-faced,  neatly 
dressed  children  could  be  seen  coming  from  all 
directions.  At  this  place  young  people  up  to  six- 
teen years  old  were  found  who  had  never  at- 
tended a  Sunday-school  service. " 

Leader: — Having  learned  something  of  the 
needs  of  this  work,  we  shall  now  hear  a  report 
of  what  has  been  accomplished. 

Speaker — Results:  During  the  past  twenty-eight 
years,  more  than  twenty  thousand  Sunday 
schools  have  been  organized  and  more  than  one 
million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  persons 
have  been  gathered  into  them.  From  these  lit- 
tle Sunday  schools  two  thousand,  three  hundred 
churches  have  grown,  and  hundreds  have  gone 
forth  as  ministers,  missionaries  and  teachers  of 
the  gospel. 

Leader: — We  all  realize  that  the  future  of  the 
cause  of  Christianity  and  the  future  of  our  nation 
depends  upon  the  Christian  training  of  the  boys 
and  girls  of  to-day. 

As  we  sing  the  hymn,  "I  Think  When  I  Read 
that  Sweet  Story  of  Old,"  let  us  remember  how 
our  Saviour  cared  for  the  children,  and  let  us  re- 
solve to  follow  his  example  in  giving  every  boy 
and  girl  in  America  the  opportunity  to  know  him. 


BROTHERS  OF  THE  FLAG 

The  aliens  represented  by  the  various  charac- 
ters taking  part  in  the  exercise,  build  an  Ameri- 
can flag  by  fastening  the  different  stripes  by  pins 
either  to  a  curtain  at  the  back  of  the  platform, 
or  to  a  light  framework  of  wood  which  may  be 
covered  with  green  paper  or  vines,  using  thumb 
tacks  to  secure  the  red  and  white  stripes,  or  con- 
structing the  flag  in  any  way  which  ingenuity 
may  devise. 

No  costumes  are  needed,  but  they  may  be  used 
if  desired.  The  children  (boys  and  girls)  may 
dress  simply  in  white,  the  boys  wearing  white 
blouses  if  they  do  not  have  entire  white  suits. 
On  the  breast  of  each  alien  is  pinned  the  flag  of 
his  country.  A  set  of  fourteen  foreign  and  two 
United  States  flags,  each  11x18  inches,  for  use 
in  this  exercise  may  be  obtained  for  $1.00,  post- 
paid. Address  orders  to  the  Board  of  Publica- 
tion and  Sabbath  School  Work,  Witherspoon 
Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  flag  of  a  coun- 
try should  be  represented,  not  the  standard,  for 
the  standard  is  far  more  complicated  than  the 
flag  and  used  only  on  special  occasions.  The  two 
Americans  also  wear  flags  on  the  breast.  Besides 
the  flag  on  the  breast,  knotted  around  the  waist 
of  each  pupil  with  ends  hanging  down  at  the 
side,  are  narrow  ribbonlike  strips  of  cambric 
representing  the  different  national  colors.  The 
color  selected  for  the  gift  to  our  flag  should  be 
broader  than  the  others  and  of  the  right  length 
to  form  the  stripes  of  an  American  flag  about 

84 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  85 

4x6  feet  in  size.  The  first  six  stripes,  of  course, 
will  be  longer  than  the  other  seven,  and  the 
flag  is  built  from  the  bottom  up.  At  the  side 
of  the  Hollander  with  the  red  and  white  rib- 
bons, hangs  a  square  of  blue  to  be  used  for  the 
field. 

The  stars  carried  by  the  Hebrew  should  be 
small  enough  to  allow  for  the  requisite  number, 
and  may  be  cut  out  of  gilt  paper,  each  being 
pasted  at  the  center  to  a  frame  work  of  parallel 
bars  cut  out  of  very  narrow  strips  of  cardboard 
which  may  be  gilded  also,  and  held  together  with 
brass-button  paper  fasteners. 

As  each  pupil  recites,  he  or  she  should  step  back  on 
the  platform,  the  first  to  the  right  of  the  flag,  the  sec- 
ond to  the  left,  etc.,  so  when  the  Americans  walk  to 
the  center  for  the  last  part  of  the  exercise,  the  aliens 
coming  forward  will  be  evenly  divided  on  either  side. 

American  Boy: — I  am  tired  of  giving,  giving, 
to  all  the  horde  of  strangers  who  press  forever 
at  our  doors!  Soon  there'll  be  nothing  left  for 
us.  They  want  a  chance  for  this,  a  chance  for 
that — education,  liberty !  Soon  we'll  be  crowded 
out  of  everything. 

American  Girl: — I  know  we  hear  forever  of 
their  ills  and  wrongs.  Still,  they  are  sturdy  peo- 
ple and  I  believe  they  do  not  do  us  harm.  Soon 
they  learn  to  love  our  flag  and  help  themselves. 
And  truly,  does  our  land  grow  richer,  stronger, 
better  every  day. 

American  Boy: — You  will  have  to  prove  that 
statement.  What  can  these  poor,  down-trodden 
people  who  come  forever  asking,  do  for  us? 

German  Child  (running  on  platform)  : — I  come 
to  your  gates  as  a  worker.  I  earn  my  way  on  farm, 
in  shop,  as  worker  in  the  arts,  and  as  a  maker 


86  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

of  sweet  music.  Remember,  Martin  Luther, 
Beethoven  and  Schiller  were  my  kin.  These  are 
the  colors  (lifting  them)  of  my  old  Fatherland — 
black  for  strength,  white  for  purity,  red  for  cour- 
age. To  your  new  land  I'll  give  my  patient 
courage.  (Selects  the  red  and  stretches  it  across 
background  and  steps  to  one  side.) 

Swiss  Child  (following  the  German  imme- 
diately) : — The  flag  of  Switzerland  is  red,  with  a 
single  cross  of  purity  upon  it.  The  people  of 
Switzerland  are  sturdy,  skilled  in  handcrafts, 
truth-loving  and  virtuous.  (Selecting  white  rib- 
bon.) From  the  old  I'll  bring  the  new  a  pledge 
of  purity.  (Stretches  the  white  stripe  above  the 
red.) 

Italian  Child: — Do  I  come  with  empty  hands, 
a  mere  beggar  to  your  shores?  Not  I!  I  seek 
religious  freedom,  a  chance  to  grow  and  learn, 
but  indeed  I  pay  my  way.  I  do  the  work  you 
spurn  to  do.  I  build  your  subways,  lay  your  rail- 
roads, and  labor  in  a  thousand  useful  ways.  And 
see  the  gifts  from  centuries  past  I  bring  to  you. 
The  Latin  language  is  studied  by  your  high- 
school  boys  and  girls,  and  Roman  history  and 
laws.  Remember  Christian  art;  Raphael  and 
Angelo  are  ours.  From  the  green,  the  white  and 
red  of  the  old  flag,  I'll  pluck  the  red  of  high  re- 
solve to  help  the  new.  (Stretches  red  band  above 
the  white.) 

French  Child: — Do  you  think  of  me  as  a  poor 
immigrant?  I  helped  to  give  your  land  a  flag 
when  you  were  poor  and  small.  Never  let  your 
boys  and  girls  forget  brave  Lafayette.  I'll  help 
you  in  a  thousand  arts  and  crafts,  and  from  the 
tricolor  of  ancient  France  I'll  lend  yon  white,  for 
singleness  of  purpose.  (Stretches  white  above 
red.) 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  87 

Child  from  Great  Britain: — From  England, 
Scotland,  Ireland,  Wales,  we  come  to  seek  a  place 
uncramped  where  we  may  earn  an  honest  liv- 
ing. You  are  our  kindred  anyway,  the  sons  of 
our  forefathers,  children  of  the  first  God-fearing 
immigrants  from  Britain's  shores.  We  have  a 
common  literature  and  laws.  From  the  colors  of 
the  Union  Jack  we'll  give  you  courage  doubly 
sure.      (Stretches   red  above  white.) 

Japanese  Child : — In  some  states  you  look 
down  upon  us  Japanese.  But  industry,  frugality, 
a  courteous  grace  and  clever  arts  are  the  gifts  we 
add  to  those  of  other  nations.  And  from  our 
banner's  rising  sun,  we'll  shed  with  humbleness 
a  ray  of  light  on  yours.  (Stretches  band  of  white 
above  red.) 

Syrian  Child  (with  Turkish  flag)  : — From  Syria 
I  come  seeking  release  from  Turkey's  cruel  op- 
pression by  tax,  by  soldiery  and  by  a  false  re- 
ligion. Our  rich  rugs  and  skillful  laces  you 
highly  prize.  Something  for  your  flag  I  have, 
and  valiantly  I'll  love  it !  (Stretches  shorter  red 
band  above  white.) 

Greek  Child: — Do  you  think  I  come  a  beggar? 
You  see  me  selling  fruit  upon  your  streets  and 
think  I  have  no  gifts  for  your  America?  My 
ancient  language,  too,  is  studied  in  your  schools. 
Greek  sculpture,  Greek  history  and  philosophy 
are  needed  for  your  culture.  From  my  old  flag 
of  blue  and  white  I've  something  fair  to  give  the 
new.     (Stretches  white  band  above  the  red.) 

Polish  Child  (with  Russian  flag)  : — A  Russian 
Pole,  you  do  not  welcome  me,  yet  once  it  was  not 
so.  George  Washington  was  grateful  for  brave 
Kosciusko's  aid  in  the  freeing  of  your  land.  The 
Poles  love  freedom,  and  by  their  blood  will 
strengthen  yours.     I  stretch  this  crimson  band 


88  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

in  pledge  of  it.  (Stretches  red  band  above  the 
white.) 

Danish  Child: — I  am  from  Denmark.  I  come 
quite  boldly  to  this  land,  for  Jacob  Riis  has 
helped  to  pave  the  way.  America  is  proud  of 
him — philanthropist  and  writer,  the  friend  of  all 
unfortunates  and  champion  of  every  worthy 
cause.  If  you  will  give  me  half  a  chance  I'll 
make  you  proud  of  me.  In  token  of  my  pure  re- 
solve, from  Denmark's  flag  I'll  place  the  white 
above  this  band  of  red.  (Stretches  white  band 
above  the  red.) 

Scandinavian  Child  (with  Norwegian  flag)  : — 
An  ancient  Norseman  was  the  first  to  reach 
America,  and  well  it  might  have  been  that  I  had 
welcomed  you  as  immigrant.  In  lumbering  and 
shipbuilding  I'll  work  with  you,  and  blend  the 
courage  of  the  Vikings  bold  with  Yankee  shrewd- 
ness.    (Stretches  a  red  band  above  the  white.) 

Chinese  Child: — Did  you  ever  see  a  Chinese 
pauper?  We  always  pay  our  way  with  work 
you  cannot  do  as  well  as  we.  You  think  of  us 
as  laundrymen,  but  we  have  arts  more  ancient 
than  your  own.  We  invented  gunpowder,  the 
mariner's  compass  and  the  art  of  printing.  We 
can  make  a  rare  enamel,  and  with  tireless  pa- 
tience work  in  beautiful  mosaics.  The  Chinaman 
may  teach  you  something  of  persistence  and  en- 
durance.    (Stretches  white  band  above  red.) 

Hungarian  Child  (Austria-Hungary)  : — Few 
dare  to  work  in  the  dangerous  black  depths  of 
coal  mines  like  the  Hungarian,  or  in  the  blazing 
iron  ore  furnace  rooms,  where  I  earn  my  bread 
in  this  new  land.  We  Hungarians  ever  have  been 
brave,  and  in  the  centuries  past  we  saved  all 
Europe  from  the  Turk.  Our  John  Hunyady  was 
the  shield  of  Christendom.     I'll  add  the  topmost 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  89 

bar  of  valor  to  your  flag.  (Stretches  red  band 
above  the  white.) 

Dutch  Child: — I  should  be  no  alien  to  you,  for 
'twas  Holland  settled  old  New  Amsterdam,  and 
Holland  blood  runs  in  the  veins  of  many.  Blue 
stands  for  truth,  fidelity  to  purpose,  and  sturdy 
Hollanders  will  help  you  keep  your  word  (plac- 
ing blue  field  in  flag). 

Hebrew  Child: — The  Hebrews  come  from  Rus- 
sia, Austria  and  many  other  lands.  We  have  no 
flag  we  call  our  own,  and  we  are  much  despised. 
We  spend  long  hours  in  the  sweatshops,  and  toil 
for  little  wage.  Still,  remember,  the  Bible  is  our 
gift  to  you.  We  cannot  add  a  color  to  your  flag, 
but  in  our  Bible  there  are  principles  of  righteous- 
ness to  guide  your  ship  of  state  like  stars  at 
night.  The  God  in  whom  you  put  your  trust  was 
first  the  Hebrew's  God.  We'll  add  the  stars  of 
heaven  to  your  field  of  blue.  (Attaches  stars  to 
flag.) 

American  Boy  (stepping  with  the  American 
girl  to  the  center  of  the  platform,  where  each 
takes  the  hand  of  the  nearest  alien,  each  alien 
in  turn  taking  his  neighbor's  hand)  : — I  see  I 
have  been  selfish  in  grudging  you  a  home 
among  us,  and  a  fair  chance  to  live  and  grow 
and  learn. 

American  Girl: — Now  I  know  you  can  repay  a 
thousandfold  the  little  that  you  ask  of  us — with 
gifts  material  and  spiritual.  (Pointing  to  the 
flag.)  The  colors  of  our  country's  flag  are  colors 
of  the  Christian  flag  as  well. 

American  Boy: — True  Brothers  of  the  Flag  are 
you,  and  all  of  us  together  (joining  hands  again) 
like  those  first  immigrants  of  old,  will  help 
maintain  the  glory  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  for- 
ever ! 


90  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

Hymn :  —  With     hands     still     joined     all     sing 
"America." 

Additional  copies  of  this  program  may  be  obtained 
free  of  charge  upon  application  to  the  Sabbath-School 
and  Missionary  Department,  Witherspoon  Building, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


OUR   WELCOME  TO   NEW   AMERICANS1 

Characters 

Six  to  ten  children  as  "American  Children,"  in 
ordinary  dress.  Ten  children  as  "Little  Immi- 
grants," in  costume,  to  represent: 

Polish  Girl  German  Girl 

Syrian  Boy  Hungarian  Boy 

Bohemian  Girl  Italian  Girl 

Greek  Boy  Russian  Jewish  Boy 

Swedish  Girl  French  Girl 

If  costumes  accurately  representing  the  na- 
tions named  can  be  secured,  they  should,  of 
course,  be  used.  As  this  will  ordinarily  be  im- 
possible, the  attempt  should  be  made  to  im- 
provise costumes  which  will  secure  variety  in 
color  and  general  appearance.  The  ingenuity  of 
the  local  committee  will  easily  succeed  in  work- 
ing out  the  problem.  The  pictures  of  people  of 
various  nationalities  found  in  dictionaries,  en- 
cyclopedias, et  cetera,  will  be  of  service.  Avoid 
anything  grotesque.  Each  immigrant  child 
should  carry  the  flag  of  the  appropriate  nation. 
These  flags  can  be  easily  made  from  colored  pic- 
tures to  be  found  in  any  unabridged  dictionary 
or  purchased  at  small  expense. 

The  American  children,  each  bearing  a  flag, 
march  to  the  platform  singing,  "O  God,  Beneath 
Thy  Guiding  Hand,"  taking  their  places  at  the 
back  of  the  platform. 

1  Adapted  from  an  exercise  published  by  The  Congre- 
gational Home  Missionary  Society. 

91 


92 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


O  God,  beneath  thy  guiding  hand 
Our  exiled  fathers  crossed  the  sea; 

And  when  they  trod  the  wintry  strand, 

With  prayer  and  psalm  they  worshiped  thee. 

Thou  heard'st,  well  pleased,  the  song,  the  prayer : 
Thy  blessing  came;  and  still  its  power 

Shall  onward,  through  all  ages,  bear 
The  memory  of  that  holy  hour. 

Laws,  freedom,  truths,  and  faith  in  God 
Came  with  those  exiles  o'er  the  waves ; 

And,  where  their  pilgrim  feet  have  trod, 
The  God  they  trusted  guards  their  graves. 

And  here  thy  Name,  O  God  of  love, 
Their   children's    children   shall    adore, 

Till  these  eternal  hills  remove, 

And  spring  adorns  the  earth  no  more. 

When  in  their  places  on  the  platform,  let  the 
"Immigrants"  enter,  bearing  their  flags  (while 
the  others  are  still  singing),  from  two  sides  of 
the  room,  the  two  lines  crossing  each  other  on 
the  platform.  Let  the  "Immigrants"  then  take 
their  places  on  either  side  of  the  platform.  Let 
them  stand  so  a  moment  after  this  song  is  fin- 
ished, then  let  the  "Immigrants"  repeat  the  fol- 
lowing, with  the  response  by  the  "Americans" 
after  each  verse: 

Immigrant  Children 

To  a  land  of  strangers 

Fearfully  we  come. 
For  a  far  voice  called  us, 

Called  us  to  your  home. 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  93 

American  Children 
Welcome,  strangers,  welcome, 

Welcome  to  our  shores. 
You  have  come  from  lands  afar, 

But  our  home  is  yours. 

Immigrant  Children 
We  have  left  behind  us 

Many  a  loved  one; 
And  our  hearts  are  lonely 

As  to  you  we  come. 

American  Children   (same  as  before). 

After  this  song  let  the  "Immigrants,"  in  turn, 
step  to  the  center  of  the  platform  and  give  their 
recitations,  telling  why  they  have  come  to  this 
country. 

RECITATIONS  OF  IMMIGRANTS 

Polish  Girl  (with  Russian  flag)  : — I  came  with 
my  father  and  mother  from  Poland.  Our  land  is 
part  of  Russia,  so  I  carry  the  Russian  flag.  We 
do  not  love  it.  My  father  says  some  day  we  will 
have  our  own  flag  again.  It  is  hard  for  many 
people  in  Poland  to  make  a  living.  So  we  came 
to  America.  My  father  works  in  a  mine,  so  we 
do  not  see  much  of  him.  My  sister  works  all  day 
in  a  shop  making  petticoats,  so  we  get  along 
pretty  well.     We  are  glad  we  came  to  America. 

Syrian  Boy  (with  Turkish  flag)  : — When  my 
brother  went  to  the  mission  school  in  Syria,  a 
missionary  told  him  he  could  learn  much  knowl- 
edge in  America,  so  we  came.  He  is  going  to 
work  in  my  uncle's  store,  where  they  sell  rugs 
and  laces  and  all  things  like  we  have  in  Syria. 


94 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 


I  am  going  to  school,  and  he  will  go  evenings, 
so  we  can  learn  to  be  smart  like  the  missionary 
who  came  to  help  us.  Then  we  will  go  back  and 
tell  the  people  there  what  we  learned,  because 
everybody  in  Syria  can't  come  to  America,  you 
know. 

Bohemian  Girl  (with  Austrian  flag)  : — I  am 
glad  now  I  came  from  Bohemia,  because  we 
found  my  father  here,  where  he  works  in  a  stock- 
yard. My  mother  had  to  work  hard  for  a  long 
time  to  get  money  to  come  with,  and  my  father 
sent  us  some,  too.  Then  the  ship  was  so  crowded 
and  dirty  when  we  came  that  we  were  sick  all 
the  time  and  thought  we  would  never  reach 
America  at  all.  But  now  my  mother  she  is  no 
more  sad,  but  smiles  on  me  and  says,  "Ah, 
Margarita,  it  is  worth  all  the  hard  times  we  had 
to  get  money  to  come  with." 

Greek  Boy : — My  brother  work  for  my  uncle  in 
his  candy  store  in  America  for  a  long  time.  He 
say  America  it  is  beautiful,  so  my  father  sold  all 
our  things  in  Greece  and  brought  us  to  this  coun- 
try. Now  my  father  own  a  pushcart,  and  every 
day  he  sell  his  fruit  and  bring  to  my  mother  lots 
of  money.  He  say  that  some  day  he  will  buy  a 
store  and  sell  candy  and  fruit,  and  when  I  am 
big  I  can  help  him  sell.  We  love  Greece  and  we 
are  proud  of  it,  too,  because  of  its  great  books 
and  great  heroes,  but  we  like  America  better. 

Swedish  Girl: — Many  people  have  come  to 
America  from  the  village  where  we  lived  in 
Sweden.  We  had  good  churches  and  schools 
there.  But  there  was  not  a  chance  to  get  a 
home  there  as  there  is  in  this  big  land.  Some- 
times the  old  people  get  homesick,  but  the  chil- 
dren find  so  much  fun  in  America  that  they 
would  not  like  to  go  back.     Of  course,  most  of 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  95 

us  work  hard,  but  mother  says  that  is  good 
for  us. 

German  Girl: — I  live  with  my  aunt  and  am 
trying  to  earn  money  to  help  bring  my  mother 
and  little  Hans  and  Gretchen.  It's  pretty  lone- 
some, but  will  be  better  when  mother  comes.  I 
have  a  sister  who  works  for  a  rich  lady  and  gets 
big  wages.  I  go  to  see  her  sometimes.  We  have 
a  church  near  by  where  German  is  spoken,  but 
I  like  better  to  use  English. 

Hungarian  Boy  (with  Austrian  flag)  : — Oh, 
this  big  America !  It  is  too  strange  here,  and  I 
am  afraid  of  all  these  people  because  they  do  not 
look  like  the  people  in  my  country,  and  they 
wear  such  funny  clothes.  But  my  father  says 
I  would  have  to  go  in  the  army  when  I  got  old 
enough  if  we  stayed  in  Hungary,  and  my  brother 
died  in  the  army.  My  father  likes  it  here  be- 
cause he  feels  free  and  can  say  and  do  just  what 
he  likes,  so  I  must  learn  to  love  America. 

Italian  Girl: — We  have  not  been  here  long. 
We  have  to  keep  boarders  in  our  few  rooms,  and 
all  of  us  work  many  hours  a  day.  I  wish  I  could 
once  go  inside  a  fine  house  and  see  how  it  looks. 
My  father  says  that  soon  I  am  going  to  school. 
It  may  be,  though,  that  we  will  go  back  to  Italy 
to  live  by  and  by.  It  is  beautiful  over  there. 
We  call  it  "sunny  Italy." 

Russian  Jewish  Boy  (any  foreign  flag)  : — We 
came  from  Russia,  but  we  hate  the  name  because 
the  Russians  rob  and  kill  the  Jews.  They  say 
they  are  Christians,  but  they  do  not  act  like 
Christians  do  in  America.  Many  more  of  our 
people  would  come  here  if  they  could.  My  father 
keeps  a  clothing  store  and  I  go  to  school.  By 
and  by  I  am  going  to  college  if  I  can. 

French  Girl: — In  France  my  father  died  and 


96  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

my  mother  was  very  poor.  We  had  to  work  very 
hard,  and  even  then  we  could  hardly  get  along. 
My  sister  knew  how  to  make  dresses,  and  one 
American  lady  told  her  she  could  find  plenty  of 
work  in  America,  so  my  sister  and  I  left  France 
and  came  here.  She  was  a  long  time  finding 
good  work,  and  she  would  come  back  to  the 
room  where  we  lived  and  cry  every  night  and 
say  she  wished  she  had  never  left  France.  But 
now  she  has  work  in  a  store,  and  she  says  soon 
we  will  move  to  a  better  place,  and  then,  when 
she  has  saved  enough,  we  will  send  for  my 
brothers,  so  they  can  come  here,  too. 

One  of  the  "Americans"  will  then  step  for- 
ward and  address  the  "Immigrants"  with  the 
following  recitation : 

We  are  glad  you  have  all  come  to  America. 
We  hope  you  will  find  in  this  beautiful  land  the 
happiness  and  success  you  are  seeking.  We 
hope  that  Zenos  will  have  a  store  some  day, 
and  that  Jakie  will  be  able  to  go  to  college,  and 
that  it  will  not  be  long  before  Rosie  can  bring 
over  her  brothers.  Our  forefathers  came  from 
Europe  many  years  ago,  just  as  you  are  coming 
now.  God's  blessing  rests  upon  our  land  because 
they  were  Christian  men  and  women  and  built 
our  nation  upon  the  Bible  and  taught  their  chil- 
dren to  love  God  and  to  keep  his  commandments. 

We  want  you  to  love  America  and  America's 
God,  and  help  us  to  make  this  more  of  a  Chris- 
tian land  than  it  is  to-day.     We  are  members  of 

the Presbyterian   Sunday   School. 

There  are  about  ten  thousand  of  these  schools 
scattered  throughout  our  land.  We  hope  each 
one  of  you  will  become  members  of  the  Sunday 


FIFTEEN-MINUTE  PROGRAMS  97 

school.  We  study  the  Bible,  which  teaches  us 
about  our  Saviour  and  tells  us  how  to  live  hon- 
est, true  and  upright  lives.  Our  prayer  is  that 
God  will  bless  you  and  make  you  a  blessing  to 
your  newly  chosen  home. 

All  will  then  sing  "America,"  the  entire  Sun- 
day school  joining  with  them. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  third  stanza  all  will 
march   off   the   platform. 

Additional  copies  of  this  program  may  be  obtained 
free  of  charge  by  writing  to  the  Sabbath-School  and 
Missionary  Department,  Witherspoon  Building,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 


IV 

HOW  TO  OBTAIN  INFORMATION 


"HOW  CAN  OUR  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  HAVE 
A  SHARE  IN  SABBATH-SCHOOL 
MISSIONS?" 
The  answer: 

Eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  dollars  pro- 
vides the  salary  of  a  Sunday-school  missionary 
for  one  year,  according  to  the  location. 

Fifty  dollars,  or  any  multiple  of  that  sum,  will 
give  you  a  proportionate  share  in  a  missionary's 
support. 

Twenty-five  dollars  will  organize  a  mission 
Sunday  school  and  furnish  it  with  supplies  for 
one  year. 

Ten  dollars  will  provide  a  mission  Sunday 
school  with  a  library,  Bibles  or  hymn  books. 

Birthday  offerings  may  be  applied  toward  a 
share   in   a   Sunday-school  missionary's  support. 

Children's  Day  offerings,  by  direction  of  the 
General  Assembly  are  applied  toward  the  sup- 
port of  Sabbath-school  missionary  work. 

Rally  Day  offerings  are  given  for  the  support 
of  missionary  work  among  foreign  immigrants. 

Special  exercises  for  Children's  Day  (second 
Sabbath  in  June)  and  Rally  Day  (last  Sabbath 
in  September  or  early  in  October)  are  prepared 
by  the  Sabbath-School  and  Missionary  Depart- 
ment, Witherspoon  Building,  Philadelphia,  and 
furnished  free  of  charge,  in  the  quantities  de- 
sired, together  with  attractive  literature  for  dis- 
tribution, offering  boxes  and  envelopes,  appro- 
priate recitations,  et  cetera. 

Children's  Day  supplies  will  be  ready  for  dis- 
tribution after  April  first  in  each  year. 

Rally  Day  supplies  may  be  obtained  after 
August  first. 

IOI 


102  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

CORRESPONDENCE 

Inquiries  are  invited  concerning  the  needs  of 
various  fields,  special  objects  toward  which  con- 
tributions may  be  made,  mission  schools  which 
may  be  assisted,  or  any  other  matters  pertain- 
ing: to  this  work. 


i& 


LANTERN  SLIDES 

The  Board  of  Publication  and  Sabbath  School 
Work  offers  four  sets  of  slides,  illustrating  its 
missionary  work: 

1.  Covering  the  Entire  Field.    74  slides. 

2.  The  Mountaineers  of  the  South.     76  slides. 

3.  In  the  Rocky  Mountains.     71  slides. 

4.  Immigration,     yy  slides. 

Many  of  these  slides  are  made  from  photo- 
graphs taken  by  the  Sunday-school  missionaries, 
and  they  illustrate  in  a  graphic  manner  the  ex- 
periences of  these  workers  in  taking  gospel  privi- 
leges to  the  neglected  parts  of  our  own  land. 
Many  of  the  slides  are  colored. 

Each  set  of  slides  is  accompanied  by  a  printed 
lecture,  which  may  be  read  while  the  slides  are 
being  exhibited. 

Rental  fee,  $1.00,  besides  the  expressage  both 
ways.  For  full  particulars,  address  Sabbath- 
School  and  Missionary  Department,  Wither- 
spoon  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

FREE  MISSIONARY    LEAFLETS 

An  assortment  of  leaflets  containing  informa- 
tion about  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionaries, descriptions  of  needy  fields,  and  other 
items  concerning  Sunday-school  missions,  may 
be    obtained    singly    or    in    quantities,    free    of 


HOW  TO  SECURE  INFORMATION 


103 


charge,  by  writing  to  the  Sabbath-School  and 
Missionary  Department,  Witherspoon  Building, 
Phiadelphia,  Pa. 

FREE    LEAFLETS    ON    SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
METHODS 

Literature  describing  Teacher  Training  work; 
Organized  Bible  Class  activities  for  adult  and 
teen-age  pupils,  Home  Department,  Cradle  Roll, 
Graded  Lessons,  Plans  for  Membership  Increase, 
and  all  the  other  ten  points  of  the  Interdemoni- 
national  Sunday-school  Standard,  together  with 
a  wall  chart  showing  the  requirements  of  a 
standard  Sunday  school,  may  be  obtained,  free 
of  charge,  by  writing  to  the  Sabbath-School  and 
Missionary  Department,  Witherspoon  Building, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

BOOKS  FOR  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND 
MISSIONARY  LIBRARY 

ON  THE  FIRING  LINE  WITH  THE 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

By  John  M.  Somerndike 

Long  and  varied  experience  in  dealing  with 
the  problems  of  Sunday-school  missions  has 
given  Mr.  Somerndike  exceptional  preparation 
for  writing  with  authority  on  this  theme.  "On 
the  Firing  Line"  presents  the  subject  of  Sunday- 
school  missions  in  a  masterly  manner.  The  illus- 
trations add  much  to  the  value  of  the  book. 
Problems  connected  with  the  evangelization  of 
the  Middle  West  and  Far  West,  of  the  South 
and    Southwest,    of    the    mountaineers    and    the 


104  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MISSIONARY 

negroes,  are  fairly  and  graphically  stated,  and 
factors  in  their  solution  clearly  presented  in  this 
fascinating  volume,  which  is  suitable  for  a  course 
in  mission  study.  No  one  can  study  this  sug- 
gestive handbook  without  learning  much  about 
his  country;  no  one  ought  to  study  it  without 
having  his  interest  in  Sunday-school  work  broad- 
ened and  deepened. — A.  H.  McKinney,  in  the 
Auburn  Seminary  Record. 

Illustrated;    cloth,  6oc.  net;   paper,  40c.  net. 

PLANTING  THE  OUTPOSTS 
By  Robert  Frederick  Sulzer 

This  is  a  delightful  autobiography,  although 
the  work  done  by  Mr.  Sulzer  for  the  people  of 
the  plains  occupies  more  attention  than  his  own 
adventures.  But  one  who  has  spent  twenty-five 
years  on  the  prairies  has  had  adventures  and 
they  are  told  here  with  spirit.  America's  heroes 
were  not  confined  to  the  Civil  War.  They  have 
been  in  her  home  mission  service.  We  wish  a 
good  many  boys  could  read  the  story  of  Mr. 
Sulzer's  early  days,  and  how  he  made  himself 
the  splendid  servant  of  the  Church  and  the  na- 
tion. The  book  gives  a  fine  picture  of  America 
in  the  making. — Christian  Work  and  Evangelist. 

Illustrated ;    cloth,  60c.  net. 

BY-PRODUCTS   OF  THE  RURAL   SUNDAY 
SCHOOL 

By  John  M.  Somerndike 

It  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  story  and 
packed  full  of  material  for  illustration.  A  perusal 
of  it  stimulates  a  spirit  for  Christian  service,  as 
one  reads  of  the  way  in  which  this  institution 


HOW  TO  SECURE  INFORMATION        105 

has  been  the  instrument  for  cleaning  up  de- 
graded communities,  for  preparing  the  way  for 
strong  churches,  for  supplying  valued  leaders 
for  the  kingdom  and  in  the  ministry,  and  for 
evangelism.  Its  adaptability  makes  it  the  ideal 
organization  for  pioneer  Christian  work  in  any 
community,  and  in  some  communities  for  per- 
manent Christian  activity.  The  material  used  is 
drawn  especially  from  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
school  missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  but 
the  book  will  be  found  useful  in  any  study  of 
this  important  subject. — Christian  Intelligencer. 
Illustrated ;    cloth,  60c.  net. 

Send  orders  to 

The  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication 

Headquarters  :   PHILADELPHIA,  Witherspoon  Bldg. 

New  York,  156  Fifth  Ave.       Chicago,  509  S.  Wabash  Ave.      Cincinnati,  420  Elm  St. 

Nashville,  415  Church  St.    St.  Louis,  313  N.  Tenth  St.    San  Francisco,  400  Sutter  St. 

Pittsburgh,  204  Fulton  Bldg. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


1    1012  01234  0321 


Date  Due 

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